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COME. HOLY GHOST 


OR 


Edifying and Instructive Selections 


FROM MANY WRITERS ON 


DEVOTION TO THE THIRD PERSON 
OF THE ADORABEE TRINITY. 



Author of “History of the Catholic Church in the Dioceses of 
Pittsburg 1 and Allegheny”, “The Sunday School Teacher’s 
Manual”, “The Sacramentalsof the Holy Catholic Church” 
etc., etc. — Fiscal Procurator of the Diocese of Pittsburg; 
President of the Historical Society of Western Penn- 
sylvania; Trustee of the Carnegie Institute, 
Pittsburg, etc., etc. 


With Preface by the Right Rev. Camillus P. Maes, D.D., 


Bishop of Covington, Ky. 


ST. LOUIS, MO. 1901. 
Published by B. HERDER, 


17 South Broadway. 

/.# 



) ) ) 


THE LIBRARY OF 
CONGRESS, 

Two Copies Received 

MAY. 21 1901 

Copyright entry 

V/Wa tvqol 

CLASS *<\;XXc. No. 

*1 % H~) 

COPY 3. 



NIHIL OBSTAT. 

Gueieemus McMueeen, 

Censor Deputatus. 


IMPRIMATUR. 

St. Louis , Mo., July 30, 1900. 

H. MueheSIEpEn, V. G., 
Adm. 


*as. 

Copyright, 1901, by Jos. Gummersbach. 


— BECKTOLD— 

PRINTING AND BOOK MFG. CO. 
ST. LOUIS, MO. 


CONTENTS. 


Dedication ix 

Compiler’s Notice .. xi 

Preface xvi 

Letter from the Very Rev. Father Provincial of the 
Congregation of the Holy Ghost in the United 

States xx 

Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Leo XIII. for 

Pentecost, 1897 xxv 

I. The Sweetness of Possessing the Holy 

Ghost. — The Cur£ of Ars 1 

II. The Same Continued .* 5 

III. The Mass for Pentecost, or Whit-Sun- 

day. — Father Goffine 9 

IV. Come, Holy Ghost. — Rev. M. Fiege, 

O. M. Cap 13 

V. Doctrine of the Council of Trent Re- 
garding the Holy Ghost 18 

VI. The Holy Ghost, the Bond of Union 
between the Father and the Son. — 

St. Alphonsus Liguori 23 

VII. The Three \Vitnesses. — St. Augustine.. 26 

VIII. The Three Divine Persons Honor Each 

Other. — M. Louis Bail 29 

IX. The Holy Ghost Bears Witness to the 
Divinity of Jesus Christ. — Rev. A. 

Nampon, S.J 34 

X. Theory of the Absolutely Supernatu- 
ral. — Revds. Joseph Wilhelm and 

Thomas B. Scannell 38 

XI. Devotion to the Holy Ghost a Neces- 
sary Part of Christian Worship. — 
Monsignor Thomas S. Preston 44 

(iii) 


iv CONTENTS. 

XII. Who Is the Holy Ghost? — Mgr. Preston 48 
XIII. The Procession of the Holy Ghost. — 


Rev. James Bellord 52 

XIV. The Three Specialties of the Holy 

Ghost. — Fr. Bellord 65 

XV. What Is the Special Office of the Holy 

Ghost? — Mgr. Preston 58 


XVI. The Holy Ghost the Author of Our 

Sanctification. — Canon H. J. Thomas 63 
XVII. Devotion to the Holy Ghost an Fspecial 
Antidote against the Fvils of the 


Day. — Fr. Fiege 67 

XVIII. The Divine Dove at the Baptism of 

Jesus. — Archbishop John M’Fvilly.... 71 

XIX. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost. — St. 

John Chrysostom 75 

XX. Come, Holy Ghost. — John Dryden 78 

XXI. The Holy Ghost the Source of Piety. — 

Father Uibermann 81 

XXII. The Written and the Unwritten Word. 

— St. John Chrysostom 85 

XXIII. Dove and Do as You Please. — St. Vin- 
cent of Paul 89 

XXIV. Heresies Regarding the Holy Ghost. — 

St. Alphonsus 92 

XXV. The Same Concluded 96 

XXVI. The Holy Ghost and the Incarnation. — 

St. Bonaventure 101 

XXVII. The Holy Ghost and Jesus Christ. — 

Fr. Fiege 107 

XXVIII. The Word Was Made Flesh.— Cardinal 

Wiseman 112 

XXIX. The Glories of Mary for the Sake of 

Her Son. — Cardinal Newman 116 


CONTENTS. 


V 


XXX. The Presentation in the Temple. — Rev. 

F. W. Faber 120 

XXXI. The Coming of the Holy Ghost. — St. 

Bonaventure 124 

XXXII. The Birth-Day of the Church. — Rev. 

Joseph Schuen 128 

XXXIII. St. Gertrude Receives the Holy Ghost. — 

St. Gertrude 132 

XXXIV. The Same Continued 137 

XXXV. Antagonism between the Spirit of 
God and the Spirit of the World. — 

The Abbe Massillon..... 140 

XXXVI. The Light of the Holy Spirit in the 

Christian Soul. — The Abbe Massillon 145 
XXXVII. The Holy Ghost and the Lord’s 

Prayer. — St. Thomas Aquinas 151 

XXXVIII. The Same Continued 155 

XXXIX. Holy Ghost, Come Down upon Thy 

Children. — Fr. Faber 158 

XL. The Holy Ghost and the World. —Dr. 

O. A. Brownson 161 

XLI. The Holy Ghost the Source of Miracu- 
lous Power. — St. Bernard 164 

XLII. The Holy Spirit the Author of all 

Charitable Work. — Monsignor Gaume 167 
XLIII. The Holy Ghost the Paraclete. — Rev. 

John E. Zollner 171 

XLIV. The Holy Ghost in the Church. — Five 
Minute Sermons of the Paulist Fa- 
thers. |(Vol. II.) 176 

XLV. The Holy Ghost in the Councils of the 

Church. — Archbishop Patrick J. Ryan 180 
XLVI. The Dove, the Cloud and the Fiery 

Tongues. — Rev. Jacob Marchant 184 


Vi CONTENTS. 

/ 

XI/VII. Sins against the Holy Ghost, and 

Their Punishment. — Mgr. Gaume 189 

XL/VTII. I believe in the HolyCatholic Church. — 

Mgr. Preston 193 

XTIX. The Holy Ghost in the Mystical Body 

of Christ. — Mgr. Preston 197 

L,. The Same Continued 201 

Iyl. Christian Fortitude. — Dr. O. A. Brown- 

son 205 

IvII. The Operation of the Holy Ghost in 

the Soul. — Archbishop Otto Zardetti 211 
IvIII. Our Heavenly Guide. — The Paulist 

Fathers 215 


DIV. Divine Grace. — Ven. Douis of Granada 219 
LV. The Holy Ghost the Author of Sanctifi- 


cation. — Rev. Wm. Humphries, S. J. 223 
lyVI. First Flowret of the Desert Wild. — Rev. 

John Baptist Feuillet, O. P 227 

DVII. The Holy Ghost Brings Perpetual 

Spring to the Soul. — The Cure of Ars 230 
LVIII. The Fruits of the Holy Ghost in the 

Soul. — Mgr. Preston 233 

BIX. The Same Continued 238 

DX. The Guidance of the Holy Spirit. — 

Mgr. Preston 242 

IyXI. Obedience to Divine Inspiration. — St. 

Francis of Sales 246 

ItfXII. The Fruits of the Spirit. — St. Francis 

of Sales 249 

ItfXIII. Hymn to the Holy Ghost. — St. Alphon- 

sus 253 

DXIV. The Path of True Wisdom. — Cardinal 

Manning 256 


contents. vii 

IvXV. The Quickening Spirit. — Cardinal 

Manning 260 

EXVI. The Influence of the Holy Ghost on the 
Sacramental System of the Church. — 

Mgr. Preston 264 

LXVII. The Same Continued 268 

IvXVIII. Justification. — Archbishop M’Evilly.... 273 

LXIX. Confirmation. — Rev. John Keble 276 

TXX. The Graces of Confirmation 279 

EXXI. Confirmation. — Rev. A. Nampon, S. J. 285 
LXXII. The Sacrament of Confirmation. — Rt. 

Rev. Bishop Ehler... 291 

TXXIII. The Character Imprinted on the Soul 
in Baptism, Confirmation and Holy 

Orders. — Cardinal Manning 294 

EXXIV. The Holy Ghost and the Sacrament of 

Penance. — Mgr. Zardetti 297 

I/XXV. The Holy Ghost and the Blessed Eu- 
charist. — Mgr. Zardetti 301 

LXXVI. Actual and Sanctifying Grace. — Ser- 
mons from the Flemish 304 

LXXVII. Hindrances to the Operations of the 
Holy Ghost in the Soul. — Rev. M. 

Hammon, S. S 310 

EXXV III. The Gifts Which the Holy Ghost Brings 

to the Soul. — Fr. Hammon 314 

EXXIX. The Gifts of the Ploly Ghost, Con- 
tinued 318 

LXXX. The Same Continued 322 

LXXXI. The Same Concluded 326 

LXXXII. The Eight Beatitudes. — Cardinal 

Manning 331 

LXXXIII. The Same Continued 335 

EXXXIV. Who Are Called to Perfection? — Cardi- 
nal Manning 339 

EXXXV. The Perfection of the Beatitudes. — 

Cardinal Manning 344 


viii 


CONTENTS. 


LXXXVI. I Believe in the Holy Ghost. — Mgr. 

Gaume 348 

LXXXVII. The Gifts of the Holy Ghost and the 

Sins Opposed to Them. — Mgr. Gaume 353 
IvXXXVIII. The Fruits of the Holy Ghost and the 

Vices Opposed to Them. — Mgr. Gaume 358 
LXXXIX. The Consolations of the Holy Ghost. — 

Ven. Louis of Granada 303 

XC. Mary, the Holy Ghost and the Priest- 
hood. — Fr. Fiege 367 

XCI. Removing the Obstacles to the Coming 
ing of the Holy Ghost. — Rev. Father 

Chaignon, S. J ' 372 

XCII. The Priest’s Preparation for the Feast 

of Pentecost. — Fr. Chaignon 377 

XCIII. The Holy Ghost Sanctifying the Church 
through the Apostles and Apostolic 

Men. — Fr. Chaignon 381 

XCIV. The Holy Ghost the Source of Consola- 
tion for the Good Priest. — Fr. Chaig- 
non 386 

XCV. Jesus Christ Gives the Holy Ghost to 

the Apostles. — Archbishop Scotti 391 

XCVI. The Apostles in Prayer with Mary. — 

Mgr. Scotti 396 

XCVII. The Sacerdotal Dignity Exalted by the 

Three Divine Persons. — Mgr. Scotti.. 399 
XCVII1. The Priest’s Obedience. — Cardinal 

Manning 403 

XCIX. The Holy Ghost and the Eucharistic 

Priesthood. — Rev. A. A. Lambing 407 

C. Novena in Honor of the Holy Ghost.... 420 

Cl. The Same Subject. — St. Alphonsus 425 

CII. The Same Continued 429 

CIII. The Confraternity of the Holy Ghost. — 

Most Rev. John J. Keane 432 

CIV. The Archconfraternity of the Servants 
of the Holy Ghost. — Rev. Father 
Rawes 436 


To the riembers of the Priests’ Eucharistic 
League in the United States. 

The Priests* Eucharistic League has 
spread in a very remarkable manner in this 
country since the date, — only recent, — of its 
introduction. And since the Apostle de- 
clares that, “no man can say ‘the Lord 
Jesus* but by the Holy Ghost**; it must, if 
it were possible, be more true that the spread 
of this special devotion to the adorable 
Sacrament of the Altar, in which Christ is 
really present in an unbloody manner, is 
the work of the same Blessed Spirit, for the 
Apostle says in another place, that, “Christ 
by the Holy Ghost offered Himself unspotted 
unto God** first in a bloody manner on the 
altar of the Cross on Calvary. 

What more fitting, then, than that, on 
this day on which I am privileged to cele- 
brate the thirty-first anniversary of my ordi- 
nation to the holy priesthood, I should ded- 
icate this little volume, calculated, as I hope, 
(ix) 


X 


to increase devotion to the Third Person of 
the Blessed Trinity, to my dear fellow-mem- 
bers of the Priests’ Eucharistic League, that 
by the light and grace of the same Holy 
Spirit, we may labor together all the more 
successfully to foster and deepen devotion 
to Him in the Sacrament of His Love, who 
“was conceived by the Holy Grhost, and 
born of the Virgin Mary.” 

A. A. Lambing. 

Wilkinsburg, Pa., August 4, 1900. 


COnPILER’S NOTICE. 

In presenting this little book to the Cath- 
olic public, I am aware that a number of 
works on the Holy Grhost have been issued 
in the last few years both in English and in 
other languages; still I do not hesitate to 
place it on the list, both because the appear- 
ance of such works is an evidence that devo- 
tion to the Third Person of the Adorable 
Trinity is gaining new life, and is felt to be 
the devotion for our times of religious in- 
difference, infidelity, intellectual pride and 
insatiable thirst for gold, which are drying 
up the fountains of spirituality; because 
I am persuaded that all who feel themselves 
able to do so should contribute to the spread 
of this devotion ; and because I have adopted 
a plan that has not suggested itself to any 
other writer on the subject. And there is 
need to foster and encourage this devotion ; 
for, as will be seen, it has not until recently 
occupied the place that one would think it 
should. As a proof of this, the Manual of 
(xi) 


•xii 

Prayer , prepared by order of the Third 
Plenary Council of Baltimore, though con- 
taining all but nine hundred pages, devotes 
no attention to devotion to the Holy Spirit, 
beyond that immediately connected with 
Confirmation, and two well known hymns ; 
and the Baccolta , the authorized manual of 
indulgenced devotions, while giving twelve 
pages to the Most Holy Trinity, sixteen to 
Almighty God, and one hundred and thirty- 
three to Jesus Christ, under His several 
titles, devotes but six to the Holy Ghost. 

This work is not a prayer-book, but a 
series of readings calculated to foster and 
explain devotion to the Spirit of Light and 
Love. 

It has been thought best to give the name 
of the writer and the title of the book from 
which each selection is taken, at the begin- 
ing of it rather than at the end, so that the 
reader may see at once whose words he is 
perusing. In making quotations, omissions 
were frequently found advisable, but care 
has been taken not to do violence to any 
writer or misrepresent his views or teaching. 


Xlll 


These omissions have not been marked, 
because the frequent occurrence of dotted 
lines do not look well on a page, because 
they break the train of thought of some 
readers, and because the statement here 
that such omission have been made, will, 
it is thought, be regarded as sufficient. 
Although much more might have been taken 
from some writers, such as Cardinal Man- 
ning, Archbishop Zardetti and Monsignor 
Preston, care has been taken not to draw 
too largely from any one author, but to 
make selections from a large number both 
to show their devotion to the Divine Spirit, 
and to better satisfy the devotional bent of 
each reader. 

Many writers have necessarily been omit- 
ted; and some writers, as, for example, St. 
Teresa, although contemplatives of the very 
highest order, have not written on the Holy 
Grhost ; but selections have been made from 
fifty-one authors. Not much has been taken 
from the early Fathers, for they generally 
wrote in a controversial strain, and I have 
avoided controversy. The selections have 


XIV 


purposely been made short because many 
Catholics have, unfortunately, a dislike for 
religious reading, or, at least, it has few at- 
tractions for them; and long selections 
might be calculated to repel, while only a 
couple of pages would seem rather inviting, 
if it were but to satisfy curiosity, and a 
second or third might be taken till in the 
end, an appetite would be created. An 
advantage in connection with this is that, 
every selection is, as a rule, complete in 
itself. 

In quoting from the Sacred Scriptures, the 
reference is not generally given, both be- 
cause many of the texts are so often met 
with as to be familiar to most persons, and 
because the general reader will seldom be at 
the trouble of verifying them. It is but 
natural that there should be great diversity 
of style and tone in selections from so large 
a number of authors. Difficulty was also 
found in arranging pieces taking so many 
different views of the subject and, conse- 
quently, there can be said to be little or no 
definite ranging of the selections. 


XV 


Difference of opinion will doubtless exist 
with regard to« the propriety of inserting 
selections intended more or less exclusively 
for the reverend clergy ; but I trust that a 
number of my fellow-priests will make use 
of the book, and the devout laity will, by 
seeing the close relation between the Holy 
Spirit and His priesthood, conceive a greater 
devotion for the One and a higher regard 
for the other. 

The Compileb. 


PREFACE. 

To gather within the covers of one book, 
for the benefit of clergy and laity, the most 
striking passages of eminent Catholic writers 
upon the nature, office and operations of 
God the Holy Ghost, is a most useful under- 
taking. 

Imperfect knowledge of God the Holy 
Ghost and of his enduring sanctifying work 
in the Church accounts for the weakening 
of the faith of the many ; and lack of appre- 
ciation of His sanctifying grace in the soul 
explains the dearth of spiritual life in the 
Christians of our generation. 

Just as no material creation of God came 
into being until His Spirit moved over the 
waters, so also no religious development ap- 
pears in man until he has been born of God 
the Holy Ghost. The perfection of earthly 
life was not reached until the creative Word 
of God was fructified by His holy Spirit ; 
xvi 


XVII 


nor does the growth of spiritual life develop 
unto fulness until it is generated of Christ 
through the action of the same Spirit. 

The Holy Ghost, therefore, is an essential 
necessity to our spiritual well-being. 

That is the reason why Christ insists so 
much on the coming of God the Holy Grhost. 
He sends Him from heaven, He communi- 
cates Him to the Apostles. The Church of 
Christ is kept alive on earth by the indwell- 
ing of the Holy Grhost ; the priest is begotten 
by His coming ; and the ministrations of the 
priesthood impart His sanctifying grace to 
man. 

The Old Testament was the revelation of 
the Father; the New is the revelation of the 
Son through the Holy Grhost, viz.: the 
manifestation of God the Son in the flesh 
and the descent of the Holy Ghost in hu- 
manity. The two religious elements by 
which the essence of Christianity is distin- 
guished from the old forms of liturgy and 
ritual are the Holy Eucharist and the Holy 
Ghost. In the assemblies of the Early 
Christians the manifestation of God the 


XV111 


Holy Ghost frequently accompanies the 
celebration of the Holy Eucharist The First 
Epistle to the Corinthians and the Doctrine 
of the Apostles testify to the fact. After 
the liturgy of Christ, there is the liturgy of 
the Holy Ghost with real presence and com- 
munion. The inspiration is often visible, 
always audible; certain members are in- 
fluenced by the indwelling of the Spirit and 
the whole assembly realizes the presence of 
the Paraclete. The communion of the Holy 
Ghost is as real as that of Christ and, as far 
as exterior effects are concerned, even more 
effective. 

Our relations with God the Son and God 
the Holy Ghost are so intimate to-day as 
ever were those of our fathers in the faith, 
even if they are not as patent to our modern 
infidels as they were to the ancient pagans. 
Faith in them has become, through the cen- 
turies, such a matter of course, that they 
are apparently forgotten by a people satiated 
beyond supernatural desire with the presence 
of the Divinity. 

To our times of indifference and material 


XIX 


inspiration has, in God’s mercy, been re- 
served the priceless boon of a revival of ex- 
terior faith in the manifestation of l5oth 
Christ and the Paraclete. 

The Holy Sacrament of the Altar wherein 
God the Son, made Man, dwelleth is being 
better known, more lovingly appreciated, 
more effectually sought. Let the same re- 
vival of faith, the same increase in know- 
ledge, the same manifestation of effects ac- 
company the seeking for the Holy Spirit. 

The bringing of both within the heart of 
the faithful will secure the advent of the 
kingdom of God on earth. 

■P Camillus P. Maes, 

Bishop of Covington. 


Letter from the Very Rev. Father Provincial 
of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost 
in the United States. ' 

Dear Father Lambing: 

I beg to express to you the great pleasure 
I experienced, when I learned that you 
were about to publish a new work on de- 
votion to the Holy G-host, the chief devotion 
of the Society, of which I have the happi- 
ness of being a member. 

We possess but few books which treat of 
this subject, especially in the English 
language ; and these few, though excellent 
in themselves, are perhaps not devotional 
enough to suit every taste. If I mistake 
not, this difficulty is overcome by the very 
unique plan and method of treatment which 
you have adopted. You draw from the 
depth of dogmatic and mystic theology not 
only the treasures of wisdom laid open to 
us by the great masters of divine science, 
but you have also availed yourself of the 
(xx) 


XXI 


delicious waters of that Divine wisdom, after 
they have passed through the sweetening 
channels of Piety in the souls of the saints. 
You let the saints and masters of the spirit- 
ual life speak what the Spirit of God has 
revealed to their angelic souls, — “the Holy 
Ghost being sent down from heaven, on 
whom the angels desire to look.” (1. Peter 
1 : 12 .) *) 

When about forty years ago the eminent 
theologian, Scheeben wrote his first great 
work “Die Mysterien des Christentums,” he 
remarked, as far as I can remember, that 
devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was 
necessarily to be followed by a wider ex- 
tension of the devotion to the Holy Ghost. 
His prediction has become true. Devotion 
to the Holy Ghost, almost unknown as a 
special devotion half a century ago, has 
developed wonderfully. It is now under- 
stood and practised by all classes of the 
faithful in the Catholic Church, and even 
by some of our separated brethren. We 

*) I have translated the Eatin texts and passages of 
this letter into English for the benefit of the general 
reader. A. A. L. 


xxii 

have reason to hope that before the lapse 
of another half century it will be, con- 
jointly with devotion to the Blessed Eucha- 
rist, the principal devotion of our Holy 
Church. 

We Catholics of the United States have 
special obligations to foster this devotion, 
for the chief pastors in this country have 
been the intruments chosen by Clod to pro- 
mote this devotion. When they where as- 
sembled in the Third Plenary Council of 
Baltimore, they recommended its practice 
to the students of our theological seminaries 
as to the future pastors of the flock of 
Christ. 

. Nor need we doubt that this devotion will 
be very fruitful not only to the clergy but 
also to the Church in general, and to the 
world at large. For the clergy, the Fathers 
of the Baltimore Council expect from it a 
large abundance of the ecclesiastical spirit ; 
for the Church in general, the devotion to 
the Holy Spirit, the spirit of charity, zeal 
and union, wdll enkindle that charity and 
strengthen that union which perhaps we 


xxiii 

need more here, than anywhere else, in 
order to keep unbroken the bonds of Faith 
and Charity, since the Church makes us 
pray to the Divine Spirit: “Come, Holy 

Spirit who through divers tongues 

didst bring all nations to the unity of faith ;” 
for the world at large it will bring into sub- 
mission the false wisdom on which it prides 
itself, and lead the nation to the source of 
Truth, the Catholic Church, a hope that the 
present Sovereign Pontiff has already ex- 
pressed. 

Weighing these and other considerations, 
need we wonder that one of our greatest 
theologians, Father Weiss, 0. P., expects 
from the devotion to the Holy Grhost a re- 
newal of the world? “Send forth Thy 
Spirit and they shall be created ; and Thou 
shalt renew the face of the earth.” 

Your idea of dedicating the work to the 
“Eucharistic League” seems to be strikingly 
appropriate, for to the sweetness of the Holy 
Spirit , we owe the Blessed Eucharist: “0 
how gracious, 0 Lord, is Thy Spirit, who, 
to show Thy sweetness to Thy children, by 


XXIV 


the sweetest food from heaven, dost fill the 
hungry with good things, and sendest the 
proud rich empty away.” 

May God, therefore, bless your under- 
taking, Dear Father and Friend, — this is 
the wish and prayer, of 

Your devoted friend 
in the charity of the Holy Ghost, 

A. J. Zieeenbach, C. S. Sp., 
Provincial. 

Holy Ghost Novitiate, 

Cornwells, Pa., Sept. 4, 1900. 


ENCYCLICAL LETTER OF POPE LEO XIII. 

For Pentecost, 1897. 


That divine office which Jesus Christ re- 
ceived from His Father for the welfare of 
mankind, and most perfectly fulfilled, had 
for its final object to put men in possession 
of the eternal life of glory, and proximately 
during the course of ages to secure to them 
the life of divine grace, which is destined 
eventually to blossom into the life of heaven. 
Wherefore our Saviour never ceases to in- 
vite, with infinite affection, all men, of every 
race or tongue, into the bosom of His 
Church: “Come ye all to Me,” “I am the 
Life,” “I am the Good Shepherd.” Never- 
theless, according to His inscrutable coun- 
sels, He did not will to entirely complete 
and finish this office Himself on earth, but 
as He had received it from the Father, so 
He transmitted it for its completion to the 
Holy Ghost. It is consoling to recall those 
assurances which Christ gave to the body of 

( XXV ) 


XXVI 


His disciples a little before He left the 
earth: “It is expedient to you that I go: 
for if I go not, the Paraclete will not come 
to you: but if I go I will send Him to you,” 
(I. John XVI, 7.) In these words He gave 
us the chief reason of His departure and 
His return to the Father, the advantage 
which would certainly accrue to His follow- 
ers from the coming of the Holy Ghost, and 
at the same time, He made it clear that the 
Holy Ghost is equally sent by, — and there- 
fore proceeds from, — Himself and the 
Father; that He would complete in His 
office of Intercessor, Consoler and Teacher, 
the work which Christ Himself had begun 
in His mortal life. For, in the redemption 
of the world, the completion of the work 
was by Divine Providence reserved to the 
manifold power of that Spirit, who, in the 
creation “adorned the heavens”, and “filled 
the whole world.” 

Now, we have earnestly striven by the 
help of His grace, to follow the example of 
Christ, our Saviour, the Prince of Pastors, 
and the Bishop of our souls, by diligently 


xxvii 


carrying on His office, entrusted by Him to 
the Apostles and chiefly to Peter, “whose 
dignity faileth not, even in his unworthy 
successors,” (St. Leo the Great.) In pur- 
suance of this object We have endeavored 
to direct all that We have attempted and 
persistently carried out during a long pon- 
tificate toward the restoration, both in 
rulers and in peoples, of the principles of 
Christian life in civil and domestic society, 
since there is no true life for men except 
from Christ; and, secondly, to promote 
the reunion of those who have fallen away 
from the Catholic Church either by heresy 
or by schism, since it is most undoubtedly 
the will of Christ that all should be united 
in one flock under one Shepherd. But now 
that We are looking forward to the ap- 
proach of the closing days of Our life, Our 
soul is deeply moved to dedicate to the Holy 
Ghost, who is the life-giving Love, all the 
work We have done during Our pontificate, 
that He may bring it to maturity and fruit- 
fullness. In order the better and more fully 
to carry out this Our intention, We have 


XXV111 


resolved to address you at the approaching 
sacred season of Pentecost concerning the 
indwelling and miraculous power of the 
Holy Ghost ; and the extent and efficiency 
of His action, both in the whole body of the 
Church and in the individual souls of its 
members, through the glorious abundance 
of His divine graces. We earnestly desire 
that, as a result, faith may be aroused in 
your minds concerning the mystery of the 
adorable Trinity, and especially that piety 
may increase and be inflamed toward the 
Holy Ghost, to whom especially all of us 
owe the grace of following the path of truth 
and virtue; for, as St. Basil said, “Who de- 
nieth that the dispensations concerning man, 
which have been made by the great God 
and our Saviour J esus Christ, according to 
the goodness of God, have been fulfilled 
through the grace of the Spirit. ” 

(Speaking of tlie Catholic doctrine of the Blessed 
Trinity, the Holy Father concludes his remarks on that 
point with the words:) — 

In prayer addressed to one person, there 
is also mention of the others. . . . This 
had already been forshadowed by the 


XXIX 


Apostle in these words: “For of Him, and 
by Him, and in Him are all things : to Him 
be glory for ever and ever,” thereby signify- 
ing both the Trinity of Persons and the 
Unity of Nature: for as this is one and the 
same in each of the Persons, so to each is 
equally owing supreme glory, as to one and 
the same God. St. Augustine commenting 
upon this testimony writes: “The words of 
the Apostle, of Him ) and by Him , and in 
Him ) are not to be taken indiscriminately: 
of Him refers to the Father, by Him to the 
Son, in Him to the Holy Ghosts ’ 

The Church is accustomed most fittingly 
to attribute to the Father those works of 
the Divinity in which power excels, to the 
Son those in which wisdom excels, and 
those in which love excels to the Holy Ghost. 
Not that all perfections and external oper- 
ations are not common to the Divine Per- 
sons ; for “the operations of the Trinity are 
indivisible, even as the essence of the Trinity 
is indivisible’ ’ (St. Augustine); because as 
the three Divine Persons “are inseparable, 
so they act inseparably” (St. Aug.). But 


XXX 


by a certain comparison, and a kind of 
affinity between the operations and the 
properties of the Persons, these operations 
are attributed, or, as it is said, “appro- 
priated” to one Person rather than to the 
others, .... In this manner the Father 
who is “the principle of the whole God- 
head” (St. Aug.) is also the efficient cause 
of all things, of the Incarnation of the 
Word, and the sanctification of souls: 
“of Him are all things”: of Him , referring 
to the Father. But the Son, the Word, 
the Image of God, is also the exemplar 
cause, whence all creatures borrow their 
form and beauty, their order and har- 
mony. He is for us the Way, the Truth, 
and the Life ; the Keconciler of man with 
God. “By Him are all thing”: by Him y 
referring to the Son. The Holy Ghost is 
the ultimate cause of all things, since, as 
the will and all other things finally rest in 
their end, so He, who is the Divine Good- 
ness and the Mutual Love of the Father 
and the Son, completes and perfects, by 
His strong yet gentle power, the secret work 
of man’s eternal salvation. “In Him are 


XXXI 


all things”: in Him, referring to the Holy 
Ghost. 

The Holy Ghost and the Incarnation. 

Having thus paid the due tribute of faith 
and worship owing to the Blessed Trinity, 
and which ought to be more and more in- 
culcated upon the Christian people, we now 
turn to the exposition of the power of the 
Holy Ghost. And, first of all, we must 
look to Christ, the Founder of the Church 
and the Redeemer of our race. Among 
the external operations of God, the highest 
of all is the mystery of the Incarnation of 
the Word, in which the splendor of the 
divine perfections shine forth so brightly, 
that nothing more sublime can even be 
imagined, nothing else could have been 
more salutary to the human race. Now, 
this work, although belonging to the whole 
Trinity, is still appropriated especially to 
the Holy Ghost, so that the Gospel thus 
speak of the Blessed Virgin: “She was 
found with child of the Holy Ghost.” And 
this is rightly attributed to Him who is the 
love of the Father and the Son, since this 


XXX11 


“ great mystery of piety” proceeds from the 
infinite love of God toward man, as St. 
John tells ns: “God so loved the world as 
to give His only begotten Son.” Moreover, 
human nature was thereby elevated to a 
personal union with the Word; and this 
dignity is given not on account of any 
merits, but entirely and absolutely through 
grace, and, therefore, as it were, through the 
special gift of the Holy Ghost. On this 
point St. Augustine writes : “This manner 
in which Christ was born of the Holy Ghost, 
indicates to us the grace of God, by which 
humanity, with no antecedent merits, at 
the first moment of its existence, was united 
with the Word of God, by so intimate a 
personal union, that He who was the Son 
of Man, was also the Son of God, and He 
who was the Son of God was also the Son 
of Man.” By the operation of the Holy 
Spirit, not only was the conception of Christ 
accomplished, but also the sanctification of 
His soul, which, in Holy Scripture, is called 
His “annointing.“ Wherefore all His ac- 
tions were “performed in the Holy Ghost” 
(St. Basil), and especially the sacrifice of 


XXX111 


Himself :|“Christ, through the Holy Ghost, 
offered Himself without spot to God” (Heb. 
9:14). Considering this, no one can be 
surprised that all the gifts of the Holy 

Ghost inundated the soul of Christ 

The words of St. Augusine may appro- 
priately be quoted “ It would be absurd to 
say that Christ received the Holy G-host 
when He was already thirty years of age, 
for He came to His baptism without sin, 
and therefore, not without the Holy Grhost. 
At this time, then, (that is, at His baptism), 
He was pleased to prefigure His Church, in 
which those especially who are baptized re- 
ceive the Holy Ghost/ ’ Therefore, by the 
conspicuous apparition of the Holy Ghost 
over Christ, and by His invisible power in 
His soul, the two-fold mission of the Spirit 
is foreshadowed ; namely, His outward and 
visible mission in the Church, and His 
sacred indwelling in the souls of the Just. 

The Holy Ghost and the Church. 

The Church which, already conceived, 
came forth from the side of the second 
Adam in His sleep on the Cross, first showed 


XXXIV 


herself before the eyes of men on the great 
day of Pentecost. On that day the Holy 
Grhost began to manifest His gifts in the 
mystic body of Christ, by that miraculous 
outpouring already foreseen by the prophet 
Joel, for the Paraclete “sat upon the 
Apostles as though new spiritual crowns 
were placed upon their heads in tongues of 
fire” (St. Cyril of Jerusalem). Then the 
Apostles “descended from the mountain,” 
as St. John Chrysostom writes, “not bearing 
in their hands tables of stone like Moses, 
but carrying the Spirit in their mind, and 
pouring forth the treasure and the fountain 
of doctrines and graces.” Thus was fully 
accomplished that last promise of Christ to 
His Apostles of sending the Holy G-host, 
who was to complete, and, as it were, to 
seal the deposit of doctrine committed to 
them under His inspiration. “I have yet 
many things to say to you, but you cannot 
bear them now; but when He, the Spirit of 
Truth shall come, He will teach you all 
truth.” (St. Johnl6: 12,13.) ForHewho 
is the Spirit of Truth, inasmuch as He pro- 
ceeded from the Father, who is etern- 


XXXV 


ally true, and from the Son, who is the 
substantial Truth, receiveth from each both 
His essence and the fullness of all truth. 
This truth he communicates to His Church, 
guarding her by all His powerful help from 
ever falling into error, and aiding her to 
foster daily more and more the germs of 
divine doctrine, and to make them fruitful for 
the welfare of the peoples. And since the 
welfare of the peoples, for which the Church 
was established, absolutely requires that 
this office should be continued for all time, 
the Holy Ghost perpetually supplies life and 
strength to preserve and increase the 
Church. “I will ask the Father, and He 
will give you another Paraclete, that He 
may abide with you forever, the Spirit 
of Truth.” (St. John 14: 16, 17.) 

By Him the bishops are constituted, and 
by their ministry are multiplied not only 
the children, but also the fathers— that is to 
say, the priests — to rule and feed the Church 
by that Blood wherewith Christ has re- 
deemed her. “The Holy Ghost has placed 
you bishops to rule the Church of God, 
which He hath purchased with His own 


XXXVI 


Blood. ” And both bishops and priests, by 
the miraculous gift of the Spirit, have the 
power of absolving sins, according to those 
words of Christ to the Apostles ; “Receive 
ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins you shall 
forgive they are forgiven them, and whose 
sins you shall retain they are retained. ” 
That the Church is a divine institution is 
most clearly proved by the splendor and 
glory of those gifts and graces with which 
she is adorned, and whose author and giver 
is the Holy Ghost. Let it suffice to state 
that, as Christ is the head of the Church, so 
is the Holy Ghost her soul. “What the 
soul is in our body, that is the Holy Ghost 
in Christ’s body, the Church.’ ’ (St. 
Augustine. ) This being so, no further and 
fuller “manifestation and revelation of the 
Divine Spirit” may be imagined or ex- 
pected ; for that which now takes place in 
the Church is the most perfect possible, 
and will last until that day when the Church 
herself, having passed through her militant 
career, shall be taken up into the joy of the 
saints triumphing in heaven. 


xxx vn 


The Holy Ghost in the Souls of the Just. 

The manner and extent of the action of 
the Holy Ghost in individual souls is no less 
wonderful, although somewhat more diffi- 
cult to understand, inasmuch as it is en- 
tirely invisible. This outpouring of the 
Spirit is so abundant, that Christ Himself, 
from whose gift it proceeds, compares it to 
an overflowing river, according to those 
words of St. John: “He that believeth in 
Me, as the Scripture saith, out of his midst 
shall flow rivers of living water’ ’ ; to which 
testimony the Evangelist adds the explan- 
ation: “Now this He said of the Spirit 
which they should receive who believed 
in Him.” It is indeed true that in those of 
the just who lived before Christ, the Holy 
Ghost resided by grace, as we read in the 
Scriptures concerning the prophets, Zach- 
ary, John the Baptist, Simeon and Anna; 
so that on Pentecost the Holy Ghost did 
not communicate Himself in such a way 
as then for the first time to begin to dwell 
in the saints, but by pouring Himself forth 
more abundantly ; crowning, not beginning 


XXXV111 


His gifts ; not commencing a new work, but 
giving more abundantly. ” (St. Leo the 

Great) So soon, therefore, as Christ, 

“ascending on high,” entered into pos- 
session of the glory of His kingdom, which 
He had won with so much labor, He muni- 
ficently opened out the treasures of the 
Holy Ghost: “He gave gifts to men.” For 
“that giving or sending forth of the Holy 
Ghost after Christ’s glorification was to be 
such as had never been before; not that 
there had been none before, but it had not 
been of the same kind.” (St. Aug.) 

Human nature is by necessity the servant 
of God: “The creature is a servant; we 
are the servants of God by nature” (St. 
Cyril of Alexandria). On account, how- 
ever, of original sin, our whole nature had 
falen into such guilt and dishonor that we 
had become enemies of God. “We are by 
nature the children of wrath.” There was 
no power which could raise us and deliver 
us from this ruin and eternal destruction. 
But God, the Creator of mankind and in- 
finitely merciful, did this through His only 
begotten Son, by whose benefit it was 


XXXIX 


brought about, that man was restored to 
that rank and dignity whence he had fallen, 
and was adorned with still more abundant 
graces. No one can express the greatness 
of this work of divine grace in the souls of 
men. Wherefore, both in Holy Scripture 
and in the writings of the Fathers, men are 
styled regenerated, new creatures, partakers 
of the Divine Nature, children of God, god- 
like, and similar epithets. Now these great 
blessings are attributed as especially be- 
longing to the Holy Ghost, He is “the 
Spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry: 
Abba, Father.” He fills our hearts with 
the sweetness of paternal love: “The Spirit 
Himself giveth testimony to our spirit that 
we are the sons of God.” .... This spirit- 
ual generation proceeds from love in a much 
more than the natural; namely, from the 
uncreated Love. 

The beginnings of this regeneration and 
renovation of man are by baptism. In this 
sacrament, when the unclean spirit has been 
expelled from the soul, the Holy Ghost 
enters in and makes it like to Himself. 
“That which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.” 


xl 


The same Spirit gives Himself more ab- 
undantly in Confirmation, strengthening 
and confirming Christian life; from which 
proceeds the victory of the martyrs and the 
triumph of the virgins over temptations 
and corruptions. We have said that the 
Holy G-host gives Himself: “The charity of 
God is poured out into our hearts by the 
Holy Ghost who is given to us.” For He 
not only brings to us His divine gifts, but 
is the Author of them and is Himself the 

supreme Gift To show the nature 

and efficacy of this gift it is well to recall 
the explanation given by the doctors of the 
Church of the words of Holy Scripture. 
They say that God is present and exists in 
ail things, “by His power, in so far as all 
things are subject to His power; by His 
presence, inasmuch as all things are naked 
and open to His eyes ; by His essence, in- 
asmuch as He is present to all as the cause 
of their being.” (St. Thomas.) But God 
is in man, not only as in inanimate things, 
but because He is more fully known and 
loved by him, since even by nature we 
spontaneously love, desire, and seek after 


xli 


the good. - Moreover, God by grace resides 
in the just soul as in a temple, in a most in- 
timate and peculiar manner. From this 
proceeds that union of affection by which 
the soul adheres most closely to God, more 
so than the friend is united to his most 
loving and beloved friend, and enjoys God 
in all fullness and sweetness. Now this 
wonderful union, which is properly called 
“indwelling”, differing only in degree or 
state from that with which God beatifies the 
saints in heaven, although it is most cer- 
tainly produced by the presence of the whole 
Blessed Trinity, — “We will come to him 
and make our abode with him,” — never- 
theless is attributed in a peculiar manner to 
the Holy Ghost. For, whilst traces of 
divine power and wisdom appear even in 
the wicked man, charity, which, as it were, 
is the special mark of the Holy Ghost, is 
shared in only by the just. In harmony 
with this, the same Spirit is called Holy, 
for He, the first and supreme Love, moves 
souls and leads them to sanctity, which 
ultimately consists in the love of God. 
Wherefore the Apostle, when calling us the 


xlii 


temple of God, does not expressly mention 
the Father, or the Son, or the Holy Ghost: 
“Know you not that your members are the 
temple of the Holy Ghost, who is in you, 
whom you have from God.” The fullness 
of divine gifts is in many ways a conse- 
quence of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost 
in the souls of the just. . . . Among these 
gifts are those secret warnings and in- 
vitations, which from time to time are ex- 
cited in our minds and hearts by the 
inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Without 
these there is no beginning of a good life, 
no progress, no arriving at eternal sal- 
vation. . . . More than this, the just man, 
that is to say he, who lives the life of divine 
grace, and acts by the fitting virtues as by 
means of faculties, has need of those seven 
gifts which are properly attributed to the 
Holy Ghost. By means of them the soul is 
furnished and strengthened so as to be able 
to obey more easily and promptly His voice 
and impulse. Therefore these gifts are of 
such efficacy that they lead the just man to 
the highest degree of sanctity ; and of such 
excellence that they continue to exist even 


xliii 


in heaven, though in a more perfect way. 
By means of these gifts the soul is excited 
and encouraged to seek after and attain the 
evangelical beatitudes, which, like the 
flowers that come forth in the spring time, 
are the signs and harbingers of eternal 
beatitude. Lastly, there are those blessed 
fruits , enumerated by the Apostle (Gal. 
5. 22), which the Spirit, even in this mortal 
life, produces and shows forth in the just; 
fruits filled with all sweetness and joy, 
inasmuch as they proceed from the Spirit, 
“who is in the Trinity the sweetness of both 
the Father and Son, filling all creatures 
with infinite fulness and profusion.” (St. 
Aug. ) The Divine Spirit, proceeding from 
the Father and the Word in the eternal 
light of sanctity, Himself both Love and 
Gift, after having manifested Himself 
through the veils of figures of the old 
Testament, poured forth all His fulness 
upon Christ and upon His mystic Body, 
the Church ; and called back by His presence 
and grace men who were going away in 
wickedness and corruption with such salut- 
ary effect that, being no longer of the earth 


xliv 


earthly, they relished and desired quite 
other things, becoming of heaven heavenly. 

On Devotion to the Holy Ghost. 

The sublime truths, which so clearly show 
forth the infinite goodness of the Holy 
Ghost toward us, certainly demand that we 
should direct toward Him the highest hom- 
age of our love and devotion. Christians 
may do this most effectually if they will 
daily strive to know Him, to love Him, and 
to implore Him more earnestly ; for which 
reason may this Our exhortation, flowing 
spontaneously from a paternal heart, reach 
their ears. Perchance there are still to be 
found among them, even nowadays, some, 
who, if asked, as were those of old by St. 
Paul the Apostle, whether they have re- 
ceived the Holy Ghost, might answer in 
like manner; “We have not so much as 
heard whether there be a Holy Ghost. ” At 
least there are certainly many who are very 
deficient in their knowledge of Him. They 
frequently use His name in their religious 
practices, but their faith is involved in 
much darkness. Wherefore all preachers 


xlv 


and those having care of souls should re- 
member that it is their duty to instruct 
their people more diligently and more fully 
about the Holy Ghost, — avoiding, however, 
difficult and subtle controversies, and es- 
chewing the dangerous folly of those who 
rashly endeavor to pry into divine mysteries. 
What shoulcf be chiefly dwelt upon and 
clearly explained is the multitude and great- 
ness of the benefits which have been be- 
stowed, and are constantly bestowed, upon 
us by this Divine Diver, so that errors and 
ignorance concerning matters of such 
moment may be entirely dispelled, as un- 
worthy of “the children of light.” We urge 
this not only because it affects a mystery 
by which we are directly guided to eternal 
life, and which must, therefore, be firmly 
believed ; but also because the more clearly 
and fully the good is known the more 
earnestly it is loved. Now we owe to the 
Holy Ghost, as we mentioned in the 
second place, love, because He is God: 
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with 
thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, 
and with thy whole strength.” He is 


xlvi 


also to be loved because He is the sub- 
stantial, eternal primal love, and nothing 
is more lovable than love. And this all the 
more because He has overwhelmed us with 
the greatest benefits, which both testify the 
benevolence of the Giver and claim the 
gratitude of the receiver. TJiis love has a 
two-fold and most conspicuous utility. In 
the first place, it will excite us to acquire 
daily a clearer knowledge about the Holy 
Ghost; for, as the Angelic Doctor says, 
4 ‘the lover is not content with the superficial 
knowledge of the beloved, but striveth to 
inquire intimately into all that appertains to 
the beloved, and thus to penetrate into the 
interior; as is said of the Holy Ghost, who 
is the Love of God, that He searcheth even 
the profound things of God.” In the second 
place, it will obtain for us a still more 
abundant supply of heavenly gifts, for 
whilst a narrow heart contracteth the hand 
of the giver, a grateful and mindful heart 
causeth it to expand. Yet we must strive 
that this love should be of such a nature as 
not to consist merely in dry speculations or 
external observances, but rather to run for- 


xlvii 


word toward action, and especially to fly 
from sin, which is in a more special manner 
offensive to the Holy Spirit. For whatever 
we are, that we are by the divine goodness; 
and this goodness is specially attributed to 
the Holy Ghost. The sinner offends this 
his Benefactor, abusing His gifts; and 
taking advantage of His goodness becomes 
more hardened in sin day by day. Again, 
since He is the Spirit of Truth, whosever 
faileth by weakness or ignorance may per- 
haps have some excuse beforeAlmighty God ; 
but he who resists the truth through malice 
and turns away from it, sins most griev- 
ously against the Holy Ghost. In our days 
this sin has become so frequent that those 
dark times seems to have come which were 
foretold by St. Paul, in which men, blinded 
by the just judgement of God, should take 
falsehood for truth and should believe in 
“the prince of this world,’ ’ who is a liar and 
the father thereof, as a teacher of truth: 
“God will send them the operation of error 
to believe lying (2 Thes. 2:10). In the last 
times some shall depart from the faith, 
giving heed to the spirit of error and the 


xlviii 


doctrines of devils” (1 Tim. 4:1). But 
since the Holy Ghost, as we have said, 
dwells in us as in His temple, we must re- 
peat the warning of the Apostle: “ Grieve 
not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you 
are sealed.” Nor is it enough to fly from 
sin ; every Christian ought to shine with the 
splendor of virtue so as to be pleasing to so 
great and so benficent a guest ; and first of 
all, with chastity and holiness, for chaste and 
holy things befit the temple.. Hence the 
words of the Apostle: “Know you not that 
you are the temple of God, and that the 
Spirit of God dwelleth in you? But if any 
man violate the temple of God, him shall 
God destroy. For the temple of God is 
holy, which you are:” a terrible, indeed, 
but just warning. 

Lastly, we ought to pray to and invoke 
the Holy Spirit, for each one of us greatly 
needs His protection and His help. The 
more a man is deficient in wisdom, weak in 
strength, borne down with trouble, prone 
to sin, so ought he the more fly to Him who 
is the neverceasing fount of light, strength, 
consolation and holiness. And chiefly that 


xlix 


first requisite of man, the forgiveness of 
sins, must be sought for from Him: “It is 
the special character of the Holy Ghost that 
He is the Grift of the Father and the Son. 
Now, the remission of sins is given by the 
Holy Grhost as by the Gift of God.” (St. 
Thomas. ) Concerning this Spirit the words 
of the Liturgy: “For He is the remission 
of sins” (Roman Missal, Tuesday after 
Pentecost). How He should be invoked is 
clearly taught by the Church, who addresses 
Him in humble supplication, calling upon 
Him by the sweetest of names: “Come, 
Father of the poor. Come, Giver of gifts. 
Come, Light of our hearts. 0, best of Con- 
solers, sweet Guest of the soul, our refresh- 
ment.” She earnestly implores Him to 
wash, heal, water our minds and hearts and 
to give to us who trust in Him “the merit 
of virtue, the acquirement of salvation, and 
joy everlasting. ” Nor can it be in any way 
doubted that He will listen to such prayers, 
since we read the words written by His own 
inspiration: “The Spirit Himself asketh 
for us with unspeakable groanings . ? ’ Lastly, 
we ought confidently and continually to beg 


1 


of Him to illuminate us daily more and 
more with His light and inflame us with 
His charity: for, thus inspired with faith 
and love, we may press onward earnestly 
toward our eternal reward, since He “is the 
pledge of our inheritance.” 

Such, Venerable Brethren, are the teach- 
ings and exhortations which we have seen 
good to utter, in order to stimulate devotion 
to the Holy G-host. We have no doubt that, 
chiefly by means of your zeal and earnest- 
ness, they will bear abundant fruit among 
Christian peoples. We Ourselves shall never 
in the future fail to labor towards so im- 
portant an end; and it is even Our in- 
tention, in whatever ways may appear suit- 
able to further cultivate and extend this ad- 
mirable work of piety. . . . 

(The words of the Encyclical commanding a novena 
to be made annually in all churches and public chapels, 
will be found further on under the head of Novenas in 
honor of the Holy Ghost.) 


I. 

The Sweetness of Possessing the Holy Ghost. 

O how good and sweet is Thy Spirit, O 
Lord, in all things. Wisdom 12: 1. 

With what more touching and beautiful 
piece could I begin these selections than the 
following from The Spirit of the Cur6 de 
Ars : — 

O my children, how beautiful it is. The 
Father is our Creator, the Son is our Re- 
deemer, and the Holy Ghost is our Guide. 
Man by himself is nothing, but with the 
Holy Spirit he is very great. Man is all 
earthly, and all animal; nothing but the 
Holy Spirit can elevate his mind, and raise 
it on high. Why were the saints so detached 
from the earth? Because they let them- 
selves be led by the Holy Spirit. Those 
who are led by the Holy Spirit have true 
ideas ; that is the reason that so many igno- 
rant people are wiser than the learned. 
When we are led by a God of strength and 
light, we cannot go astray. The Holy 
Spirit is light and strength. He teaches us 
to distinguish between truth and falsehood, 
( 1 ) 


2 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

between good and evil. Like glasses that 
magnify objects, the Holy Spirit shows us 
good and evil on a large scale. With the 
Holy Spirit we see every thing in its true 
proportions; we see the greatness of the 
least actions done for Grod, and the great- 
ness of the least faults. As a watchmaker 
with his glasses distinguishes the most min- 
ute wheels of a watch, so we, with the light 
of the Holy Grhost, distinguish all the de- 
tails of our poor life. Then the smallest 
imperfections appear very great, the least 
sins inspire us with horror. That is the 
reason why the most Holy Virgin never 
sinned. The Holy Grhost made her under- 
stand the hideousness of sin ; she shuddered 
with terror at the least fault. 

Those who have the Holy Spirit cannot 
endure themselves, so well do they know 
their poor misery. The proud are those 
who have not the Holy Spirit. Worldly 
people have not the Holy Spirit, or if they 
have, it is only for a moment. He does not 
remain with them ; the noise of the world 
drives Him away. A Christian who is led 
by the Holy Spirit has no difficulty in leav- 
ing the goods of this world, to run after 
those of heaven ; but he knows the difference 
between them. The eyes of the world see 
no farther than this life, as mine see 


3 


Come , Hohj Ghost. 

no farther than this wall when the church 
door is shut. The eyes of the Christian see 
deep into eternity. To the man who gives 
himself up to the guidance of the Holy 
Ghost, there seems to be no world; to the 
world there seems to be no God. We must, 
therefore, find out by whom we are led. If 
it is not by the Holy Ghost, we labor in 
vain, there is no substance nor savor in any- 
thing we do. If it is by the Holy Ghost, we 
taste a delicious sweetness ; it is enough to 
make us die of pleasure. Those who are led 
by the Holy Spirit experience all sorts of 
happiness in themselves, while bad Chris- 
tians roll themselves in thorns and flints. 
A soul in which the Holy Spirit dwells is 
never weary in the presence of God; his 
heart gives "forth a breath of love. Without 
the Holy Ghost we are like the stones on the 
road. Take in one hand a sponge full of 
water, and in the other a little pebble ; press 
them equally. Nothing will come out of the 
pebble, but out of the sponge will come 
abundance of water. The sponge is the 
soul filled with the Holy Spirit, and the 
stone is the cold and hard heart which is not 
inhabited by the Holy Spirit. 


O God who didst teach the hearts of. the 
faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit: 


4 


Come , Holy Ghost. 


grant us, in the same Spirit, to have a right 
judgment in all things, and evermore to re- 
joice in His holy comfort: through our Lord 
Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and 
reigneth with Thee in the unity of the same 
Holy Spirit, one God, World without end. 
Amen. 



II. 

The Same Continued, 

I will pour out My Spirit upon all 
flesh. Joel 2: 28. 

In another part of the same Spirit the 
saintly Cur^ tells his spiritual children : — 

A soul that possesses the Holy Spirit 
tastes such sweetness in prayer, that she 
finds the time always too short ; she never 
loses the holy presence of Grod. Such a 
heart, before our good Saviour in the Holy 
Sacrament of the altar, is a bunch of grapes 
under the wine-press. 

The Holy Spirit forms thoughts and sug- 
gests words in the hearts of the just. Those 
who have the Holy Spirit produce nothing 
bad: all the fruits of the Holy Spirit are 
good. Without the Holy Spirit all is cold ; 
therefore when we feel we are losing our 
fervor, w r e must instantly make a novena to 
the Holy Spirit to ask for faith and love. 
See, when we have made a retreat or a 
jubilee, we are full of good desires; these 
( 5 ) 


6 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

good desires are the breath of the Holy 
Ghost, which has passed over our souls, and 
has renewed everything, like the warm wind 
which melts the ice and brings back the 
spring. You who are not great saints, you 
still have many moments when you taste the 
sweetness of prayer and of the presence of 
God; these are visits of the Holy Spirit. 
When we have the Holy Spirit, the heart 
expands, — bathes itself in love. A fish 
never complains of having too much water, 
neither does a good Christian ever complain 
of being too long with the good God. There 
are some people who find religion wearisome, 
and it is because they have not the Holy 
Spirit. If the damned were asked, Why 
are you in hell? they would answer, For 
having resisted the Holy Spirit. And if 
the saints were asked, Why are you in 
heaven? They would answer, For having 
listened to the Holy Spirit. When good 
thoughts come into our minds, it is the Holy 
Spirit who is visiting us. 

The Holy Spirit is a power. He sustained 
the martyrs. Without the Holy Spirit, the 
martyrs would have fallen like the leaves 
from the trees. When the fires were lighted 
under them, the Holy Spirit extinguished 
the heat of the fire by the heat of divine 
love. The good God, in sending us the 


7 


Come , Ghost . 

Holy Spirit, has treated us like a great king 
who should send his minister to guide one 
of his subjects, saying: “You will accom- 
pany this man everywhere, and you will 
bring him back to me safe and sound.” 
How beautiful it is, my children, to be ac- 
companied by the Holy Spirit. He is in- 
deed a good Guide ; and to think that there 
are some who will not follow Him! The 
Holy Spirit is like a man with a carriage 
and horse, who should want to take us to 
Paris. We should only have to say “yes,” 
and to get into it. It is indeed an easy mat- 
ter to say yes. Well, the Holy Spirit wants 
to take us to heaven ; we have only to say 
“yes,” and to let Him take us there. The 
Holy Spirit is like a gardener. The Holy 
Spirit is our servant. 

The Holy Spirit, reposes in just souls like 
a dove in her nest. He brings out good 
desires in a pure soul, as the dove hatches 
her young ones. The Holy Spirit leads us 
as a mother leads by the hand her child two 
years old; as a person who can see leads 
one who is blind. The sacraments which 
our Lord instituted would not have saved 
us without the Holy Spirit. Even the death 
of our Lord would have been useless to us 
without him. Therefore our Lord said to 
His Apostles, “It is expedient for you that 


8 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

I should go away; for if I did not go, the 
Consoler would not come. 77 The descent of 
the Holy Chost was required, to render 
fruitful the harvest of graces. It is like a 
grain of wheat, — you cast it into the ground ; 
yes, but it must have sun and rain to make 
it grow and come into ear. We should say 
every morning: “0 Cod, send me Thy 
Spirit to teach me what I am and what 
Thou art. 77 


May the infusion of the Holy Spirit 
cleanse our hearts, 0 Lord, and render them 
fruitful by the inward watering of His heav- 
enly dew. Through our Lord Jesus Christ 
Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with 
Thee in the unity of the same Holy Chost, 
one Cod, World without end. Amen 


III. 


The Mass for Pentecost, or Whit-Sunday. 

The Spirit of the Lord hath filled the 
whole earth. Wisdom 1: 7. 

Nothing could be more appropriate for 
the devout Christian to meditate upon on the 
great feast of Pentecost than the Mass, 
which Holy Church has appointed for that 
day. The principle parts are, therefore, 
given with reflections upon them by Father 
Goffine, in his popular work: Devout In- 
structions on the Epistles and Gospels for the 
Sundays and Holy days, etc., which, to speak 
truly, should be in the hands of every 
Catholic. The pious religious comments as 
follows : — 

What is Pentecost? 

The solemn anniversary of the day on 
which the Holy Ghost came down, under 
the appearance of fiery tongues, upon Mary 
the Mother of Jesus, and His Apostles and 
disciples, who were assembled in prayer in 
Jerusalem. 


( 9 ) 


10 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

To express her joy at the descent of the 
Holy Ghost, the Church sings in the Introit 
of the Mass: “The Spirit of the Lord hath 
filled the whole earth, alleluia, and that 
which containeth all things, hath knowledge 
of the voice, alleluia, alleluia. Let God 
arise, and His enemies scattered; and let 
them that hate Him fly before His face.” 
Glory be to the Father, etc. 

PRAYER. 

0 God, who on this day didst instruct the 
hearts of the faithful by the light of the 
Holy Spirit, grant that we may be truly 
wise in the same Spirit, and ever rejoice in 
His consolation. Through Jesus Christ our 
Lord, etc. 

Epistle. Acts 2: I — II. When the days 
of the Pentecost were accomplished, they 
were altogether in one place; and suddenly 
there came a sound from heaven, as of a 
mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole 
house where they were sitting. And there 
appeared to them parted tongues as it were 
of fire, and it sat upon everyone of them*, 
and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, 
and they began to speak with divers tongues, 
according as the Holy Ghost gave them to 
speak. Now there were dwelling at Jeru- 
salem Jews, devout men of every nation 


11 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

under heaven. And when this was noised 
abroad, the multitude came together, and 
were confounded in mind, because that 
every man heard them speak in his own 
tongue. And they where all amazed and 
wondered, saying: Behold, are not all these 
that speak Galileans? And how have we 
heard every man our own tongue wherein 
we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and 
Elamites, and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, 
Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, 
Phrygia, and Pamphelia, Egypt, and the 
parts of Lybia about Cyrene, and stranger 
of Rome, Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes, 
and Arabians : we have heard them speak 
in our own tongues the wonderful works of 
God. 

Why does the Church celebrate this day 
so solemnly? 

To praise and thank God for sending the 
Holy Ghost, who gave so many spiritual 
graces and fruits to men. 

Why did the Holy Ghost appear under 
visible signs? 

It was done to attract attention, and to 
indicate outwardly what took place in- 
wardly. The roar of the mighty wind, 
according to the prophets, pointed to the 
approaching Godhead, and was intended to 
announce something extraordinary. The 


12 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

appearance of tongues signified the gift 
of languages, and the division of them the 
different gifts imparted by the Holy Ghost. 
The fire which lightens, warms, and quickly 
spreads, denoted the love of God, the power 
and joy with which the Apostles, and man- 
kind through them, should be filled, and in- 
dicated the rapid extension of Christianity. 

What were the effects of the descent of 
the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles? 

Being enlightened and made acquainted 
with all truth, freed from all fear and faint- 
heartedness, and undaunted, the Apostles 
preached everywhere Christ crucified, and 
for love of Him endured with joy all suffer- 
ings. Their discourses were understood by 
all present, as if they had carefully learned 
each that particular language. From that 
time Christianity spread with wonderful 
rapidity throughout the world. Pray the 
Holy Ghost to-day to enlighten you also, to 
inflame you with holy love, and to give you 
strength daily to increase in all goodness. 



IV. 

Come, Holy Ghost. 

(Sequence, or hymn, literal tranlation, from Father 
M. Fiege, O. M. Cap.’s Paraclete.') 

Come, 0 Holy Spirit, 

And from heaven send forth 
Of Thy glory one ray. 

Come, Thou Father of the poor, 

Come, Thou Giver of gifts, 

Come, Thou Light of hearts. 

O Thou, best Comforter, 

Thou, the soul’s sweet Guest, 

Sweet refreshment Thou. 

Thou art Rest in labor 
Thou art Shelter from the heat, 
Thou art Solace in our weeping. 

0 Thou, most blissful Light, 

Fill the inmost hearts 
Of the faithful. 

Unless Thou givest, 

There is naught in man, 

Naught but what is sinful. 

( 13 ) 


14 


Come , Roly Ghost . 

Wash Thou what is stained, 

Water what is parched, 

Heal Thou what is wounded. 

Bend Thou what is rigid ; 

Warm Thou what is cold; 

Guide Thou what is erring. 

G-ive unto Thy faithful, 

Who put their trust in Thee, 

Thy most sacred seven-fold gift. 

Grant Thou virtue its reward ; 

Grant a happy end ; 

Grant eternal happinesss, Amen. 

Alleluia. 

Gospel. St. John 14: 23 — 31. At That 
time Jesus said to His disciples: If any 
man love me he will keep my word, and 
my Father will love him, and we will come 
to him, and will make our abode with him. 
He that loveth Me not keepeth not My 
words. And the word which you have 
heard is not Mine; but the Father’s who 
sent Me. These things have I spoken to 
you, abiding with you. But the Paraclete, 
the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send 
in My name, He will teach you all things, 
and bring all things to your mind, whatso- 
ever I shall have said to you Peace I leave 


15 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

with you; My peace I give unto you: Not 
as the world giveth do I give unto you. 
Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be 
afraid. You have heard that I said to you : 
I go away and I come to you. If you loved 
Me, you would indeed be glad, because I go 
to the Father: for the Father is greater 
than I. And now I have told you before it 
come to pass ; that when it shall come to 
pass, you may believe. I will not now speak 
many things with you; for the prince of 
this world cometh, and in Me he hath not 
anything. But that the world may know 
that I love the Father ; and as the Father 
hath given Me command, so do I. 

Why is the Holy Grhost called a spirit, 
and the Holy Spirit? 

Because He proceeds from the Father 
and the Son, and is, as it were, the Spirit 
of the Father and the Son. 

What does the Holy Grhost effect in men? 

He renews their hearts by cleansing them 
from sin, by imparting to them the sancti- 
fication and likeness to Grod gained through 
Christ, together with all those supernatural 
gifts and graces by which they can become 
holy and happy, and brings forth in them 
wonderful fruits of sanctity. 

Which are the gifts of the Holy Grhost? 

1. The gift of wisdom, which teaches us 


16 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

to value the heavenly more than the earthly, 
infuses into us a longing for the same, and 
points out to us the right means to sal- 
vation. 

2. The gift of understanding, which en- 
lightens us to rightly understand the 
mysteries and doctrines of our holy religion. 

3. The gift of counsel in doubtful cases, 
which enables us to know what to do or to 
omit, and what to advise others. This gift 
is particularly necessary for superiors, for 
those who are changing their state of life, 
and for those who are entangled in perplex- 
ing and unfortunate marriage relations. 

4. The gift of fortitude, which banishes 
all timidity and human respect, strengthens 
man to hate sin, and steadfastly to practise 
virtue ; preferring contempt, temporal loss, 
persecution, and even death, to denying 
Christ by word or deed. 

5. The gift of knowledge, by which the 
Holy Ghost enlightens us with an inner 
light, that we may know ourselves, the 
snares of selflove, of our passions, of the 
devil, and of the world, and may choose the 
fittest means to overcome them. 

6. The gift of piety and devotion, which 
infuses into us veneration for God and 
divine things, and joy in conversing with 
Him. 


17 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

7. The gift of the fear of God, that 
childlike fear, which dreads no other mis- 
fortune than that of displeasing God, and 
which, accordingly, flees sin as the greatest 
evil. 

Which are the fruits of the Holy Ghost? 

They are the twelve following: 1. Char- 
ity. 2. Joy. 3. Peace. 4. Patience. 5. 
Benignity. 6. Goodness. 7. Longsuffer- 
ing. 8. Mildness. 9. Faith. 10. Modesty. 
11. Continency. 12. Chastity. 

These fruits should be visible in the 
Christian, for thereby man shall know that 
the Holy Ghost dwells in him, as the tree is 
known by its fruit. 


0 God, who didst give the Holy Spirit to 
the Apostles, grant to Thy people the effect 
of their pious prayers, that on those to 
whom Thou hast given grace, Thou mayest 
also bestow peace. Through Christ our 
Lord. Amen. 


V. 


Doctrine of the Council of Trent. 

I will ask the Father, and He shall 
give you another Paraclete, that He 
may abide with you forever. 

St. John 14:16. 

The Council of Trent, which held its first 
session on December 13, 1545, and after 
many interruptions closed its labors in the 
cause of our holy religion, December 4, 
1563, may justly be regarded as the most 
important council the Church has ever held, 
if it be permitted to compare one with an- 
other the works over which the Holy Spirit 
presides. The circumstances of the times, 
into which it is not necessary to enter here, 
were such that thoughtful and religious 
minds were convinced of the necessity of 
the Vicar of Christ calling an assembly of 
the prelates of the Christian world to define 
more clearly the doctrines of the Church, 
now assailed, as they never had been be- 
fore, by the so-called Reformers, for the 
guidance of mankind in general, and to 
adopt such measures of reformation for the 
correction of some of those within the fold, 
(18) 


19 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

as would tend to promote the greatest good 
for the cause of religion. Here especially 
we must look for the operations of the Holy 
Ghost, the Spirit of Truth, Whom our 
divine Redeemer promised to send His 
Church to teach her all truth and to abide 
with her for ever. Hence every session of 
the august assembly was opened with de- 
claration that it was “ lawfully assembled in 
the Holy Ghost. ” Can we, then, turn to a 
higher authority with regard to the oper- 
ations of the Third Person of the Adorable 
Trinity in the Church as a body or in the 
individual soul than to the decrees of this 
council? But in order that these decrees of 
doctrine and discipline might be made 
known in an authoritative manner to the 
children of the fold for all time, the council 
directed that an exposition of its enact- 
ments should be prepared for the pastors of 
souls as the firm and unerring basis of their 
teaching. This work is commonly known 
as The Catechism of the Council of Trent; it 
is also sometimes called The Homan Catech- 
ism, and also The Catechism of Pastors. I 
shall, therefore, first turn to it when treat- 
ing of the work of the Holy Ghost in the 
Church. 

Under the explanation of the eighth 
article of the Apostles Creed, “I believe in 


20 Come, Holy Ghost . 

the Holy Ghost,’ ’ the Catechism, among 
other things says: Hitherto we have ex- 
pounded, as far as the nature of the subject 
seemed to require, what regards the first 
and second persons of the Trinity. It now 
remains to explain what the Creed contains 
with regard to the Third Person, the Holy 
Ghost. On this subject the pastor will omit 
nothing that study and assiduity can effect ; 
for on this, and the proceeding articles, 
error were alike unpardonable. Hence 
the Apostle is careful to instruct some 
among the Ephesians, with regard to the 
person of the Holy Ghost. Having asked 
if they had received the Holy Ghost, and 
having received for answer, that they did 
not so much as know the existence of the 
Holy Spirit, he immediately subjoins: “In 
whom, therefore, were you baptized?” — to 
signify that a distinct knowledge of this 
article is most necessary to the faithful. 
From it they derive this special fruit, — con- 
sidering attentively that whatever they pos- 
sess, they possess through the bounty and 
beneficence of the Holy Spirit, they learn to 
think more modestly and humbly of them- 
selves, and to place all their hopes in the 
protection of God, which is the first step 
toward consummate wisdom and supreme 
happiness. 


21 


Come , JZo/y/ Ghost. 

The exposition of this article, therefore, 
should begin with the meaning here at- 
tached to the words, Holy Ghost ; for, as 
this appellation is equally true when applied 
to the Father and the Son, (both are spirit, 
both holy), and also includes angels and 
the souls of the just ; care must be taken 
that the faithful be not led into error by the 
ambiguity of the words. The pastor, then, 
will teach in this article that by the words 
Holy G-host is understood the third person 
of the Blessed Trinity; a sense in which 
they are used sometimes in the Old and 
frequently in the New Testament. Thus 
David prays: “Take not Thy Holy Spirit 
from me ; ” and in the Book of Wisdom we 
read: “Who shall know Thy thoughts, ex- 
cept Thou give wisdom, and send Thy Holy 
Spirit from above V’ (Wis. IX. 17.) And 
in another place: “He created her in the 
Holy Ghost.” (Eccles. I. 9.) We are also 
commanded, in the New Testament; to be 
baptized “in the name of the Father, and 
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” 
(Matthew XXVIII. 19.) We read that the 
most holy Virgin conceived of the Holy 
Ghost; and we are sent by St. John to 
Christ, “Who baptized us in the Holy 
Ghost;” with a variety of other texts in 
which the words Holy Ghost occur. 


22 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

Nor should it be deemed a matter of sur- 
prise that a proper name is not given to the 
third, as to the first and second persons. 
The second person is designated by a 
proper name, and called Son, because His 
natural birth from the Father is properly 
called generation. But as the production 
of the third person is characterized by no 
proper name, but is called spiration and 
procession; the person produced is con- 
sequently characterized by no proper name. 
Unable, therefore, to express the emanation 
of the third person, by a proper, we have 
recourse to the common name of the Holy 
Ghost; a name, however, peculiarly ap- 
propriate to Him who infuses into us spirit- 
ual life, and without whose holy inspirations 
we can do nothing meritorious of eternal 
life. 

(The operations of the Holy Spirit in the Church and 
in the individual soul will appear in the various ex- 
tracts from approved writers on the subject, which will 
be given in the body of this work ; and, for that reason 
further extracts from the pages of the Catechism of the 
Council of Trent will not be given.) 

All praise, thanksgiving and glory be 
given to God the Holy Ghost who, at 
baptism made us the adopted sons of God, 
filled our hearts with His sanctifying grace 
and imparted to us the supernatural gifts of 
Faith, Hope and Charity and the seeds of 
every virtue. Amen. 


VI. 


The Holy Ghost the Bond of Union between 
the Father and the Son. 

And there appeared to them parted 
tongues, as it were of fire. Acts 2, 3. 

The subjoined extract from the Sermons 
of the indefatigable St. Alphonsus Liguori is 
replete with the spirit of devotion to the 
Holy G-host to whom and to His terestrial 
spouse, the ever blessed Virgin Mary, the 
saint owed all his inspirations. He says : — 
The eternal Father was not content with 
giving us His Son Jesus Christ, that He 
might save us by His death; He has also 
given us the Holy Ghost, that He may dwell 
in our souls, and that He may keep them 
always inflamed with His holy love. In 
spite of all the injuries which He received 
on earth from men, Jesus Christ, forgetful 
of their ingratitude, after having ascended 
into heaven, sent us the Holy G-host, that, 
by His holy flame, this divine Spirit might 
kindle in our hearts the fire of divine char- 
ity, and sanctify our souls. Hence, when 
( 23 ) 


24 Come , Holy Ghost . 

He descended on the apostles, He appeared 
in the form of tongues of fire. “And there 
appeared to them parted tongues, as it were 
of fire.” Hence the Church prescribes the 
following prayer (for Pentecost Saturday) : 
“We beseech Thee, O Lord, that Thy Spirit 
may inflame us with that fire which the 
Lord Jesus Christ sent on earth, and 
vehemently wished to be enkindled.” This 
is the holy fire which inflamed the saints 
with the desire of doing great things for 
God, which inflamed them to love their 
most cruel enemies, to seek after contempt, 
to renounce all riches and honors of the 
world, and even to embrace with joy tor- 
ments and death. 

The Holy Ghost is that divine bond 
which unites the Father with the Son ; it is 
He that unites our souls, through love, with 
God. The chains of the world are chains 
of death, but the bonds of the Holy Ghost 
are bonds of eternal life, because they bind 
us to God, who is our true and only life. 

Let us remember that all the lights, in- 
spirations, divine calls, all the good acts 
which we have performed during our life, 
all our acts of contrition, of confidence in 
the divine mercy, of love, of resignation, 
have been the gifts of the Holy Ghost. 
“Likewise the Spirit it also helpeth our in- 


25 


Come , IZofo/ Ghost. 

firmity ; for we know not what we should 
pray for as we ought ; but the Spirit Him- 
self asketh for us with unspeakable groan- 
ings.” Thus it is the Holy Grhost that 
prays for us; for we know not what we 
ought to ask, but the Holy Spirit teaches 
us what we should pray for. 


O Almighty and Eternal Grod, who hast 
created Thy servants to acknowledge the 
glory of the eternal Trinity, in the con- 
fession of the true faith, and to adore the 
unity of power of Thy majesty, we beseech 
Thee, that by firmness in the same faith, we 
may be ever protected from all adversities. 
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, etc. Amen. 




VII. 


The Three Witnesses. 

There are three who give testimony 
in heaven, the Father, the Word and 
the Holy Ghost; and these are one. 

St. John I. St. John 5, 7. 

The prince of the Doctors of the Church, 
St. Augustine, in his most highly praised 
work The City of God , says: — When our 
Lord breathed on His disciples, and said 
“ Receive ye the Holy Ghost,” He certainly 
wished it to be understood that the Holy 
Ghost was not only the Spirit of the Father, 
but of the only-begotten Son Himself. For 
the same Spirit is, indeed, the Spirit of the 
Father and of the Son, making with them 
the trinity of the Father, Son and Spirit, 
not a creature, but the Creator. For neither 
was that material breath which proceeded 
from the mouth of His flesh the very sub- 
stance and nature of the Holy Spirit, but 
rather the intimation, as I said, that the 
Holy Spirit was common to the Father and 
to the Son; for they have not each a 
( 26 ) 


27 


Come , Ghost. 

separate Spirit, but both one and the same. 
Now, the Spirit is always spoken of in 
Sacred Scripture by the Greek woT&pneuma, 
as the Lord, too, named Him in the place 
cited when He gave Him to His disciples, 
and intimated the gift by the breathing of 
His lips ; and there does not occur to me 
any place in the whole Scriptures were He 
is otherwise named. But in this passage 
where it is said, “And the Lord formed man 
from the dust of the earth, and breathed, 
or inspired, into his face the breath of life: ” 
the Greek has not pneuma , the usual word 
for the Holy Spirit, but pnoe , a word more 
frequently used of the creature than of the 
Creator; and for this reason some Latin 
interpreters have prefered to render it by 
“breath’ ’ rather than by “spirit”. For 
this word occurs also in the Greek in Isaias 
57 : 16, where God says, “I have made all 
breath,” meaning, doubtless, all souls. 
Accordingly, this word, pnoe is sometimes 
rendered “breath”, sometimes “spirit”, 
sometimes “inspiration”, sometimes “aspir- 
ation”, sometimes “soul”, even when it is 
used of God. Pneuma , on the other hand, is 
uniformly rendered “spirit”, whether of 
man, of whom the Apostle says : “For what 
man knoweth the things of a man, save the 
spirit of man which is in him?” Or of beast, 


28 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

as in the book of Solomon : “ Who knoweth 
the spirit of man that goeth upward, and 
the spirit of beast that goeth downward to 
the earth” ; or of that physical spirit which 
is called wind, for so the Psalmist calls it: 
“ Fire and hail; snow and vapors; stormy 
wind;” or of the uncreated Creator Spirit, 
of whom the Lord said in the Gospel, “Re- 
ceive ye the Holy Ghost”, indicating the gift 
by the breathing of His mouth ; and when 
He says: “Go ye and baptize all nations in 
the name of the Father, of the Son and of 
the Holy Ghost, ’ ’ words which very expressly 
and excellently commend the Trinity; and 
where it is said, “God is a Spirit” ; and in 
very many other places in the sacred 
writings. 


Spirit of Understanding, do Thou teach 
and enlighten me, so that I may never 
waver in my faith, but enjoy true peace of 
mind and heart. Amen. 



VIII. 

The Three Divine Persons Honor Each Other. 

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts ; 
all the earth is full of His glory. 

Isaias 6:3. 

M. Louis Bail, writes as follows in La 
Theologie Affective , Paris, 1638, on the 
“Glory be to the Father,” etc. : — 

The Holy Church has dedicated this 
(Trinity) Sunday of the ecclesiastical year 
to the special honor of the mystery of the 
Blessed Trinity. In accordance with her 
mind and spirit, I will suggest to you some 
of the motives that should encourage within 
us a special homage to this sublimest of all 
mysteries. 

The divine Persons honor each other. 
The Son honors the Father and the Holy 
Ghost. He honors the Father, as He says, 
“I honor My Father.” He honors His 
Father by giving Him the most glorious of 
titles. Now, He calls Him holy: “Holy 
Father, keep them in Thy name, whom 
Thou hast given Me.” Now, he calls Him 
just: “Just Father, the world hath known 
Thee, but I have known Thee.” Now, He 
calls Him Lord of heaven and earth: “I give 
(29) 


30 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

thanks to Thee, 0 Father, Lord of heaven 
and earth .- 7 He honors His Father by 
praying to Him with profound humility. 
He bowed his knee before Him, and on 
Mount Olivet He fell upon His face praying. 
On the cross He prayed with tears to His 
Heavenly Father. He honors His Father 
by performing all things for His glory; “I 
seek not my own glory.” When He sees 
the house of His Father dishonored, the 
Lamb has the aspect of a lion. At last He 
died to promote the honor of His Father. 

The Son honors the Holy Ghost. He 
warns men never to commit the sin against 
the Holy Ghost, saying: “He that shall 
speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not 
be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor 
in the world to come.” Our Lord was 
never so severe as when speaking of the sin 
by which the Holy Ghost is dishonored. He 
honors Him also by the most glorious 
names, calling Him the Paraclete and the 
Spirit of Truth ; because, in opposition to 
the wicked spirit, He teaches men truth. 
He calls Him the gift of God , because 
charity is the principal grace, and even the 
source of all other graces; and living water , 
because the Holy Ghost cleanses our souls 
from sin. He honors the Holy Ghost by 
promising Him to the Holy Church, that 


31 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

He may accomplish in her the work of re- 
demption. Thus Jesus Christ endeavors to 
produce in His apostles a great veneration 
for the Holy Grhost, possessing whom the 
spirits are angels, and men are like St. 
John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. 

The Father and the Holy Grhost honor 
the Son. “The Father Himself, ” says 
Christ, “who hath send Me, hath given 
testimony of Me.’ ’ And St. Paul writes to 
the Hebrews : “To which of the angels hath 
He said at any time: Thou art My Son; 
this day I have begotten Thee.” The 
Father and the Holy Grhost honored the 
Son at His baptism, and at His transfigur- 
ation on Thabor. The Son found a great 
consolation in this homage. For “lifting 
up His eyes to heaven, He said: Father, the 
hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy 
Son may glorify Thee. ” “And now glorify 
Thou Me, O Father, with Thyself, with the 
glory which I had with Thee, before the 
world was.” 

The three divine Persons honored each 
other from all eternity. “For there are 
Three that give testimony in heaven; the 
Father, the Word and the Holy Grhost; and 
these Three are one. 

The angelic beings do homage to the 
Blessed Trinity. The Psalmist cries out: 


32 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

“Praise ye Him, all His angels; praise ye 
Him, all His hosts.” They cried from the 
day of their creation one to another: “Holy, 
holy, holy, Lord, God of Hosts; all the 
earth is full of His glory.” And when the 
Son of God was born in human flesh, the 
heavenly hosts praised Him, saying: 1 ‘Glory 
to God in the highest.” 

The Holy Church honors the Blessed 
Trinity with great fervor. Incessantly does 
she exclaim: “Glory be to the Father, and 
to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.” When- 
ever we pronounce these sacred words, we 
make acts of various virtues. It is an act 
of Faith in the greatest mystery of the 
Christian religion. It is an act of Hope of 
heaven, which we hope to enter, in order to 
glorify the Father, the Son and the Holy 
Ghost for evermore. And it is an act of 
Charity wherein we desire that all creatures 
may praise the Blessed Trinity. So glorious 
is the honor of this mystery, that it is the 
incessant occupation of the saints in heaven. 
“They rested not day and night, saying: 
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who 
was, and who is, and who is to come.” 
Apoc. 4:8. 

Let us, then, honor the mystery of the 
Blessed Trinity with great fervor; let us 
frequently and with great devotion repeat 


33 


Come , Holy Ghost . 


the hymn of adoring praise: “Glory be to 
the Father, and the Son, and to the Holy 
Ghost. 77 Let us foster in our hearts a vivid 
desire for the eternal mansions, and for the 
blessed hour, when we are to join forever- 
more the praises of the Blessed Trinity by 
the angels and saints. 


Repeat nine times devputly: “Glory be 
to the Father , 77 etc. 



IX. 


The Holy Ghost Bears Witness to the Divinity 
of Jesus Christ. 

Thou shalt send forth Thy Spirit, 
and they shall be created : and Thou 
shalt renew the face of the earth. 

Ps. 103:30. 

Having given the teaching of the Church 
regarding the Third Person of the Adorable 
Trinity, it would be difficult to find any- 
thing more appropriate to follow it up with 
than the subjoined extract from Catholic 
Doctrine as Defined by the Council of Trent , 
by the Rev. A. Nampon, S. J., who re- 
marks: — 

Whence comes it that, dating from the 
fiftieth day after the resurrection of the 
Redeemer, humanity, as existing in the 
multitude of believers, which it supplied to 
the Church, instead of falling, rises; instead 
of sinking lower, ascends, as the waters of 
Jordan hastened to mount toward their 
source at the approach of the Ark? — While 
( 34 ) 


35 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

races who have refused to be Christian, or 
have ceased to be so, continue to follow the 
downward tendency which draws them to 
barbarism? What name must we give to 
the new Spirit that has been poured out 
upon the world? That Spirit which makes 
us love Giod as a Father and all mankind as 
brethren, and even leads us to prize humili- 
ations, crosses, martyrdom, as assured 
pledges of heavenly happiness? That Spirit 
of purity , which shrinks with horror from 
the slightest stain, and makes virginity so 
honorable and so frequent? That Spirit of 
charity , which induces us to welcome and 
to tend everyone who is in misfortune, as if 
he were Jesus Christ Himself? That Spirit 
of freedom, which delivers us from the bond- 
age of the evil passions, and does not allow 
us to acknowledge any superior on earth 
except our heavenly Father, represented in 
the family and in society by those who truly 
bear His commission. That Spirit of zeal 
and self-devotion , which makes itself all 
things to all, that it may gain all for Jesus 
Christ? That Spirit of gentleness and of 
force , of prudence and of simplicity; that 
Spirit of humility amid the highest merits ; of 
constancy amid incessant persecutions ; that 
Spirit of lofty science and docile faith , which 
subdues the world and searches the very 


36 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

depths of God, which warms and inflames 
as much as it enlightens ; which forms at 
once the happiness and the perfection of 
the Christian. That Spirit is evidently not 
the spirit of man. Since the fall the spirit 
of man has been selfish, proud, pusillan- 
imous, impure. Still less is it the spirit of 
satan, which could only lead to evil. It is, 
therefore the Spirit of God, the Spirit 
promised and sent by Jesus Christ, The 
Holy Spirit. 

Now, this Spirit leads us to place our con- 
fidence and our love in Jesus Christ, to ob- 
serve His laws, to imitate His example, to 
believe His gospel, to hope for salvation 
from the merits of His redemption, to pray 
for His grace in order to attain to His 
glory ; in a word, to invest Him with all the 
honors which are due to the Deity. This 
Spirit proclaims Him as God by the mouth 
of all the martyrs; by the mouth of all the 
Fathers and all the Pontiffs. This Spirit 
proclaims Jesus Christ by the instrument- 
ality of all the Councils, which have em- 
braced, by confirming, the creed of Nice; 
by the agency of all the Fathers and Doctors, 
who concurred in defeating Arianism, and 
who have written since that great victory. 
Therefore, according to the testimony of 
the Holy Spirit, unveiling the future by the 


37 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

mouth of the prophets, then poured out in 
the Upper Chamber on the day of Pentecost, 
and since that time continuing to dwell in 
the bosom of the Catholic Church, a test- 
imony as ancient as the world, as wide- 
spread and perpetual as the Church, as in- 
disputable as that of the Father, — accord- 
ing to that testimony “ Jesus Christ is Grod.” 

Thus does that snowy dove, the symbol 
of the Spirit of gentleness and love, which 
hovered over the head of the Saviour on 
the day of His baptism, while the words of 
the Father resounded in the Heavens, “This 
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well 
pleased — reveal to us by its single ap- 
pearance a permanent an universal fact: 
the testimony of the Spirit of the Grod-Man. 


I now, 0 my Grod, of my own free will 
and choice, rectify and renew all the 
promises made at my baptism. Come Thou, 
O Holy Grhost, confirm and complete within 
me the work commenced by Thee at my 
baptism. Amen. 


X. 

Theory of the Absolutely Supernatural. 

Tlie Spirit searcheth all things, yea 
the deep things of God. I. Cor. 2:10. 

Two other Jesuit fathers, Revds. Joseph 
Wilhelm and Thomas B. Scanned, in their 
very learned work, A Manual of Catholic 
Theology , speak as follows under the head 
of “ Theory of the Absolutely Super- 
natural”: — 

Another analogy illustrating the com- 
munication of the Divine Substance to the 
sons of adoption is found in the union 
between the spiritual soul and the body. The 
Divine Substance cannot enter the creature 
so as to form part of it ; it is necessarily com- 
municated as a living, substantial principle, 
the possession of which by the creature re- 
presents a substantial conjunction, and, 
moreover a substantial similarity between 
the progenitor and the progeny. The Holy 
Grhost is sent to the soul to inform it with 
supernatural life in the same manner as the 
( 38 ) 


39 


Come, Holy Ghost 

soul itself is sent by God into the body to 
inform it with natural life. St. Paul points 
to this character of the union in I. Cor. 6: 
17 — 19, where, after speaking of the 
“ joining 7 ’ with God, he compares the 
sanctified creature to a temple filled with 
the Holy Ghost. From the indwelling of 
the Holy Ghost the Apostle infers that we 
are not our own but God’s, which shows 
that the indwelling establishes between the 
Holy Ghost and man a union equivalent to 
the union of the human soul with the body. 
We may, therefore, call it “informing”; 
not, however, in a literal sense, because the 
Divine and the created substances cannot 
be parts of one nature, and also because 
the human soul, not being matter, cannot 
be the bearer of a higher form. It is des- 
cribed as an informing by conjunction and 
penetration or inhabitation, similar in its 
effects to the natural information whereby 
matter and form constitute one nature. In 
this respect the relation between the Holy 
Ghost and the soul is perfectly similar to 
that between the body of the faithful and 
the Body of Christ received in Holy Com- 
munion. Again, as the Fathers point out, 
it is analogous to the relation which exists 
in Christ between His Divine Nature and 
Substance and Human nature and sub- 


40 Come , Holy Ghost . 

stance; with this difference, however, that 
in Christ one Person has two natures, 
whereas, in the order of grace, two persons 
are united for one purpose. The latter 
analogy is fully borne out by the. language of 
Scripture. Both indwellings of the Divinity 
in humanity (viz. in Christ and in sanctified 
souls) are designated by the same terms 
and represented as a sealing and annointing 
of the flesh with the Holy Ghost or with 
God’s own Spirit, (2 Cor. chap. I). As the 
sealing and annointing are done by the 
Spirit, they point to a communication of 
life ; and as this Spirit is God’s own Spirit, 
they imply a participation in the Divine 
life, a dignity, a holiness, and a likeness to 
God best expressed as a communication or 
fellowship of and with the Holy Ghost. 

Starting from the notion that the Holy 
Ghost, by communicating the Divine Sub- 
stance to the sanctified, establishes between 
Him and them a relation analogous to that 
between spirit and flesh in man, or between 
Divinity and humanity in Christ, we can 
easily determine the connection of the in- 
dwelling with the constitution of the state 
of grace. Speaking generally, the con- 
nection consists in this, that the possession 
of the Holy Ghost, the Substantial Un- 
created Grace conjoined to the dwelling in 


41 


Come , JTofo/ Ghost. 

the creature, concurs with created grace, 
inherent in and affecting the creature, so as 
to give a higher lustre to adoptive sonship 
and a deeper foundation to its privileges 
than created grace alone could give. Again, 
the possession of the Holy Ghost gives to 
the sanctified that personal dignity which 
makes them pleasing to God and enables 
them to perform salutary works ; it causes 
God to extend to them the love He bears to 
Himself, and to admit them to Divine 
privileges. 

In order to transform the soul into His 
living temple, the Holy Ghost must endow 
it with a new principle of life, and adorn it 
in a manner becoming its exalted dignity. 
The infused virtues are the principles of 
Divine life, and elevating grace gives the 
temple of the Holy Ghost the required 
sanctity and glory. The Fathers compare 
the indwelling Spirit of God to a living fire 
which absorbs and assimilates all the powers 
of the soul. Again, created grace is re- 
quired to act as a disposition for the 
reception of the Holy Ghost and as a bond 
of union between Him and the sanctified 
soul. The disposition for the reception of 
the Holy Ghost, lies in charity, and in 
elevating grace, which prepares the inner- 
most soul for the coming of its divine Guest. 


42 Come , Holy Ghost . 

The transformation of the soul by elevating 
grace may be considered as the special 
link binding it to the Holy Grhost. In fact, 
this link or bond is analogous to that by 
which child and father, wife and husband, 
body and soul are united ; it implies, there- 
fore, an active and plastic influence from 
one substance on the other, and a depend- 
ence of the formed or transformed substance 
on the substance which communicates it- 
self. Although these two elements may be 
found also in infused charity, they stand 
out more strikingly in the elevation of the 
soul to a supernatural state ; for in this case 
the very substance of the soul is affected 
and is made like unto the Divine Substance, 
whereas charity is but an accidental quality 
of the soul, and cannot be the foundation 
of a substantial relation. Thus, then, the 
infusion of grace, as a quality affecting the 
very being of the soul, represents also the 
entrance of the Holy Ghost into the soul. 
By virtue of this grace He takes root in the 
souPs innermost depths, and establishes 
there His throne, from which He pours out 
the divine gifts on the sanctified soul. This 
grace gives the Holy Grhost Himself to the 
soul; all other are but operations of the 
Holy Ghost either consequent upon or 
preparatory to His coming. 


43 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

Grant, 0 Lord, that we may have a 
perpetual fear and love of Thy holy name, 
for Thou never ceasest to direct and govern 
by Thy Grace, those whom Thou instructest 
in the solidity of Thy love. Through Jesus 
Christ our Lord, etc. Amen. 



XI. 


Devotion to the Holy Ghost a Necessary Part 
of Christian Worship. 

There are three that give testimony 
in heaven, the Father, the Word, and 
the Holy Ghost. And these three are 
one. St. John 5:7. 

There are few works on devotion to the 
Third Person of the adorable Trinity more 
deserving a careful study than Mgr. Pres- 
ton’s j Divine Paraclete , from which the follow- 
ing extracts are taken : — 

Devotion to the Holy Ghost is a necessary 
part of Christian worship, as we adore one 
God in three Persons, and there is no 
distinction in essence between the Father, 
the Son and the Holy Ghost, who are one 
and the same God. As the Creed of St. 
Athanasius declares: “This is the Catholic 
faith, that we adore one God in trinity, and 
Trinity in unity, neither confusing the Per- 
sons nor separating the substance. One is 
the Person of the Father, another that of 
( 44 ) 


45 


Come , Ghost. 

the Son, and another that of the Holy 
Spirit. But one is the divinity of the 
Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost ; the 
glory is equal and the majesty is co- 
eternal.” 

Surely there never was a time when men 
needed more the aid of the purifying in- 
fluence of the Holy Ghost. We walk amid 
shadows, which we often mistake for light. 
Men exalt their little knowledge, and even 
boast of their ignorance. In the pride of their 
intellects they have arrived at their denial of 
the only source whence truth can come. 
Infidelity has grown bold, and from the 
rejection of the Christian Church and the 
verities of her creed, has come to the un- 
blushing denial of God, the great First 
Cause, whose attributes are essential to the 
existence of all dependent being. Is there 
any light but that of the Divinity which 
can illumine eyes so darkened by the mists 
of pride and the worship of self? 

Then, the materialism of our age, which 
measures all things by sense, depresses the 
instincts of the spiritual life and draws 
away the heart from the supernatural 
world wherein we truly live, and for which we 
were created. There can be no greater de- 
gradation than the denial of man’s spiritual- 
ity and immortality. What shall break this 


46 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

spell of wordliness, turn to bitterness the 
cup of pleasure, and open the eyes of the 
wilfully blind? We need to cry mightily to 
the Spirit whose creating energy once 
brooded upon the disorder of chaos : 

“Come, Holy Ghost, Creator, come 
From Thy bright heavenly throne ; 

Come, take possession of our souls, 

And make them all Thine own. 

Heal our wounds, our strength renew, 

On our dryness pour Thy dew ; 

Wash the stains of guilt away.” 

Then at His coming the earth shall be 
moved, and when the darkness of sin flies 
away, the glories of the new birth shall be 
seen, and the beauties of the spiritual life 
shall attract and win the heart. The graces 
of faith and hope and love shall conquer, 
and saints be raised again to glorify the 
power and sweetness of the Creator. He 
that is great and wonderful in the visible 
world, is far more wonderful and mighty in 
the realm of faith, where human spirits 
commune with the divine Spirit and par- 
take of His life. 

We propose, says Monsigneur Preston, 
to answer these two questions : ‘ ‘ Who is the 
Holy Ghost?” and “what is His peculiar 


47 


Come> Holy Ghost . 


office.” There is hardly need to say that 
here, while we approach the very essence of 
Grod, and speak of the nature of His being, 
we must do so with that reverence which 
becomes the creature in the presence of the 
Creator, and that fear which the nearness 
of Grod should ever excite in our minds. 


O Holy Grhost, give me Thy love, and 
give me strength to keep it and use it. 
Thou art sweet and mighty in all Thy gifts ; 
but Thy greatest gift is charity. The love 
of Grod is shed abroad in our hearts by 
Thee, O Holy Grhost, who art given to us. 
Amen. 



XII. 


Who Is the Holy Ghost? 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
and the charity of God, and the com- 
munication of the Holy Ghost be with 
you all. 2 Cor. 13:13. 

In reply to the first question proposed by 
Mgr. Preston, as we have seen, “Who is 
the Holy Ghost V y He answers ; — 

1. He is a divine Person. He possesses 
all the attributes of personality, and, being 
God, is equal to the Father and the Son, 
He is a Divine Person. Paternity truly 
belongs to the Father, because He begets 
His eternal and consubstantial Son. The 
filial relation of the Second Person responds 
to the paternity of the Father. And as the 
Father and Son together breathe forth the 
Spirit there are the relations of procession 
and spiration. These wonderful relations 
in God are truly real. 

We call, therefore, the Holy Ghost the 
Third Person of the undivided Trinity, 
because He eternally proceeds from the 
Father and the Son. This is the clear con- 
( 48 ) 


49 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

fession of our creed. Thus the General 
Council of Florence defines that “the Holy 
Spirit proceeds eternally from the Father 
and the Son as from one and the same 
principle and by one spiration.” In the 
Sacred Scriptures He is called the Spirit of 
Christ, as well as the Spirit of God; and 
He is the Paraclete sent by the Son to 
accomplish His work on earth. He glorifies 
the incarnate Word on earth, since He 
takes of that which is His, and shows it to 
us. 

2. With regard to the office of the Holy 
Ghost, our author remarks: — 

In our contemplation of God and the 
divine Persons we may reverently look at 
the Deity within itself and at the Deity in 
its action outward upon things created. 
Within the sacred Trinity each Person may 
have His office, as each has His place and 
relations. The Father, who is of none, and 
who is called by spiritual writers, “the root 
and fountain of the whole Divinity,” begets 
the eternal Son, and is to Him, in the truest 
sense of our inadequate language, a father; 
and if paternity mean anything of strength, 
and care, and tenderness in our speech, in 
the divine tongue it must mean much more. 

The Son, in all eternity generated by the 
will of the Father, comes forth, with the 


50 Come, Holy Ghost . 

fullness of the divine essence, to express the 
glory of Deity, and the power of that Deity 
within itself. To paternity filiation re- 
sponds, and the Son gives hack the love that 
He receives in the might of a divine filial 
affection, God only can know Himself. 
God only can worthily love Himself. Here 
all that sonship signifies is real in the im- 
mensity of Deity. Its loyalty, its conse- 
cration, its expression of likeness are all 
here, and all tightened to infinity. 

The spiration of the Holy Ghost is the 
last of the divine processions. Here, as 
some of the Fathers reverently say, the 
Father and the Son, as one principle, by an 
act of supreme love breathe forth the co- 
eternal Spirit. It is the act of their mutual 
love, and the Spirit of the Father and the 
Son proceeds from both, the pledge of their 
mutual affection and the expression of 
beatitude. Following the steps of the 
Fathers, we may think of the Holy Spirit 
as the active and passive affection of the 
Godhead, the spring of peace, the tran- 
quility of order, the harmony of the Infinite 
in the grandeur of His being. Oh, how it 
adds to our adoring wonder of the Divinity 
thus to contemplate the eternal Three in 
the distinctness of personality and the per- 
fection of unity. 


51 


Come , Holy Ghost. 


Help me to think, 0 Blessed Spirit, as 
much as I can, of Grod. He has shown me 
boundless mercy; He has saved me from 
many dangers; He has promised me the 
beatitude of heaven, May I love Him for 
all that He has done, and for all that He has 
promised ; but may I love Him still more 
for Himself. Thou, 0 Holy Grhost art Grod. 
Amen. 





A-t* "*t r \ 


XIII. 


The Procession of the Holy Ghost. 

But when the Paraclete cometh, 
whom I will send you from the Father, 
the Spirit of Truth, who proceedeth 
from the Father, He shall give testi- 
mony of Me. St. John 15:26. 

The Bev. James Bellord, in his Medi- 
tations on Christian Dogma , has this, among 
other things, to say of the Procession of the 
Holy Ghost: — 

The divine Father begetting the Son 
equal to Himself and the image of His 
glory, by an act of the intellect, is simultane- 
ously moved to exercise His will in an act 
of infinite love toward this reflection of His 
perfections. The Son in return necessarily 
loves the Father with an equal infinite love. 
This joint action is within the Godhead; 
it is God; and it constitutes a production, 
and a term which has personal conscious- 
ness of that love, and which is the Holy 
Ghost. Thus the Third Person proceeds 
( 52 ) 


53 


Come , Roly Ghost. 

from the First and Second together as from 
one principle or source of action, for they 
are one in will and in love. The Father 
eternally begets the Son having the same 
divinity and the same powers as Himself, 
and amongst these is included an equal 
power with Himself of being the principle 
of the Holy Ghost. It is this fact of pro- 
ducing the Holy Ghost which is the source 
of the reciprocal relations between the Son 
and the Holy Ghost; without these re- 
lations there would be no distinction and 
they would not be different persons. The 
production of the Holy Ghost is the glory 
of the Son with the Father, as the gener- 
ation of the Son is the great glory of the 
Father. 

The love of God which produces the Holy 
Ghost is a universal love of all that is good, 
so that it includes in itself God’s love for 
His creatures. For the model and type of 
all goodness is the perfection existing in 
God ; and therefore all creatures are present 
to the mind of God from all eternity, and 
are seen by Him with the eternal act of 
intelligence of Himself which produces the 
Son. Corresponding to this is the act of 
the divine will, which loves all that is in 
the intellect of God, and, therefore, all that 
will be represented in creatures. This ex- 


54 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

plains the infinite, the necessary, and yet 
the unexpected love which God manifests 
for all mankind in spite of their demerits. 
God not only loves all men and all things, 
but He loves them, therefore, in the Holy 
Ghost. You should love the Holy Ghost 
as the source of all the good gifts of 
God in the work of creation. He is the 
fount of graces of all kinds as described in 
the Veni Sancte Spiritus. He communicates 
to us charity, joy, peace, patience, faith, 
modesty, etc. He is indeed our Paraclete 
and Comforter. Too late have you known 
Him ; too late have you loved Him. 


Come, 0 Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess 
my heart, incline it to true faith in Thee, to 
a holy love of Thee my God, that with my 
whole soul I may seek Thee, and find Thee 
my best, my truest joy. Amen. 


XIV. 

The Three Specialties of the Holy Ghost. 

I and the Father are one. 

St. John 10:30. 

Continuing on the Three Specialties of 
the Holy Ghost Father Bellord writes: — 

It is a special peculiarity of the Holy 
Ghost that He is the bond of union between 
the Father and the Son, Their harmony, 
Their peace and Their love. This is the 
case inasmuch as the Father and the Son 
become one principle in the production of 
the Holy Ghost; They have one and the 
same relation towards Him ; and He has one 
single relation towards Them. In another 
way also the Holy Spirit is the bond of 
union, as being the personified propension, 
or inclination of the Father towards the 
Son, and of the Son towards the Father. 
He is the love of each for the other, and so 
binds the Blessed Trinity into a special 
union of Persons over and above the unity 
of their essence and nature. It is the 
( 55 ) 


56 


Coyne , Holy Ghost . 

peculiarity of love to unite different objects; 
and the Holy Ghost, as being eternal, un- 
created, infinite love, is the accomplishment 
of the most wonderful of unions. Beseech 
this Spirit of love to be the bond of union 
between you and the Godhead, and between 
you and all your brethren. 

A second specialty of the* Holy Ghost is 
that He is the final term of the eternal pro- 
cessions of the divine Persons. The Father 
is the first Person in the Godhead, the Holy 
Spirit is the last; the cycle is complete; 
and, after that, no further procession is 
possible or conceivable. The ending of the 
productive action does not imply any de- 
ficiency or infirmity in the Holy Ghost. 
His perfection as a Person consists in the 
fact that He responds adequately to the in- 
finite activity of the divine will and love. 
Thenceforth nothing more remains but the 
external operation of the Trinity in the 
production of creatures outside Itself. Love, 
then, is the accomplishment of the law, 
even of the uncreated law of God’s own 
being. This great faculty has been given 
you for your perfection and happiness. 
Take care that it does not become corrupted 
into self-love, the parody and destruction 
of divine love. 

The divine Spirit of love is also a spirit 


57 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

of perfect sanctity. He is the sanctity of 
the Father and the Son; His presence is 
the sanctification of sinners. So effectual 
is divine love in us, that even in its lowest 
degree, and in our weak and frigid souls, it 
instantaneously destroys sin, and com- 
municates to us the supernatural life of 
God, and His actual presence. Therefore 
our Lord said concerning St. Mary Magda- 
lene: “Many sins are forgiven her, because 
she hath loved much.” How intense, then, 
must be the infinite sanctity resulting from 
the love of the Three divine Persons in the 
most Holy Trinity. This is the secret of 
holiness for you. Endeavor to cultivate a 
vivid and intense love for God, for the 
Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Without 
this you cannot have constancy to keep 
those commandments of God which lead to 
life. Give your whole undivided love to 
God, and He will pour forth the abundance 
of sanctity and joy into your heart. 


Thou stoopest in Thy deathless love to me, 
Thou fillest all the House of God for me, 
Thou crownest all the years with grace for 
me, 

Long-suffering Spirit, how I cling to Thee, 
And love, and bless, and praise, and wor- 
ship Thee. 


XY. 

What Is the Special Office of the Holy Ghost? 

Thou shalt send forth Thy Spirit, 
and they shall be created ; and Thou 
shalt renew the face of the earth. 

Ps. 103:30. 

The office of the Holy Ghost in and 
toward created things, says Mgr. Preston, 
is called His work outward , though, strictly 
speaking, there is nothing without the 
Trinity. Yet toward creatures the Holy 
Spirit has a special office, and, in harmony 
with His work within the bosom of the 
Deity, He comes forth to complete, beautify 
and sanctify the whole creation. “Thou 
shalt sent forth Thy Spirit, and they shall 
create the face of the earth . 77 When God 
spoke, the Word went forth, and “all 
things were made by Him . 77 Yet it was 
the office of the Spirit to brood upon the 
shapeless mass of chaos, that from His 
fecundating energy, order and beauty might 
come forth. When, in the new earth, 
created for our use, the race of man was to 
take its place, the Three Persons communed 
( 58 ) 


59 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

together. “Let ws make man to our image 
and likeness.’ 7 Then was man made with 
the royal mark upon him, with an in- 
telligent soul, with a memory, will and 
understanding, in the image of the eternal 
Three who formed him. Upon our first 
father, Adam, the Holy Ghost descended, 
and so was he made a living soul. Reason 
ruled within him, and, by the power of the 
sanctifying Spirit, there was harmony 
between soul and body. There was peace, 
and no war was known between the rational 
and irrational natures. We attribute to the 
Third Person of the Trinity the special 
office in creation of establishing order, of 
harmonizing elements that might be in con- 
flict, of causing life and beauty to bloom 
where, without His celestial touch, all would 
be dead and shapeless. He is the uncreated 
beauty shining in the things He touches; 
the divine order leading created intelligences 
up to the living Unity, which is God. He 
is the living spring, the living fire, sweet 
unction and true love. 

The Holy Trinity has another work, 
undertaken of His free mercy and to show 
the riches of His grace. When our race 
fell from God by the prevarication of its 
will, and in our father, Adam, lost Eden 
and the graces of paradise, the same power 


60 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

which magnified itself in creation glorified 
itself more mightily in redemption. In this 
work the Three Persons of the Trinity co- 
operate, and here the Holy Ghost has His 
peculiar office. 

Directly does He concur in the incarnation 
of God the Word. By His power the im- 
maculate Virgin conceived. “The Holy 
Ghost shall come upon thee,” said the Arch- 
angel Gabriel, “and the power of the Most 
High shall overshadow thee ; therefore the 
Holy that shall be born of thee shall be 
called the Son of God.” The Word was, 
then, conceived by the Holy Ghost and 
born of the Virgin Mary,” By His touch 
her pure substance was formed into the 
spotless body of Jesus Christ; and by His 
breath the soul of God Incarnate was 
created. Upon that humanity the greatest 
and most beautiful work of God, the 
energies of the divine Spirit, with all His 
gifts, were poured fourth. His all-perfect- 
ing fingers were ever upon the humanity to 
mould and fashion it, as the Man-God 
“grew in wisdom, and age, and grace, with 
God and Men.” Through all the steps of 
His earthly work the Redeemer was “led by 
the Spirit,” from hight to hight of oblation. 
At the baptism in the Jordan “heaven was 
opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in 


61 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

a bodily shape as a dove upon Him.” 
i 1 Evidently great,” says the Apostle, “is 
the mystery of the godliness, which was 
manifested in the flesh and justified in 
the Spirit.” This work of the Spirit in 
and over the humanity of Christ was 
carried on through all the bitterness of the 
Passion, in the sharpness of death, until 
the resurrection dawned in a new light 
and the Man-God was taken up into glory. 

And when the Word made flesh had 
finished His earthly work, had paid the 
penalty due to our sins, and had ascended 
on high, it was the office of the Spirit to 
carry on and compete that work. So in 
the quickening energy of His nature, and 
the love of which He is the expression, the 
Paraclete takes up the work of the ascended 
Christ, brings all His teaching into fruitful 
light, and by His mighty operations applies 
the precious Blood of Calvary, and com- 
pletes the redemption. 


O Holy G-host, Uncreated Love of the 
ever-blessed Trinity, Thou art living Water 
and living Fire. Drench my heart in the 
streams of Thy grace, and make it clean 
before Thee. Purify my heart in the fire 
of Thy love, and burn up all the dross in it, 


62 


Come , 

that we may be bright in Thy eyes. Ador- 
able Spirit be to me the water of life. 
Adorable Spirit, be to me also the flame of 
judgment and of burning by which Sion 
and Jerusalem are cleansed, Jesus, let Thy 
Spirit dwell ever more and more in my 
heart. Amen. 


XVI. 

The Holy Ghost the Author of our Sancti- 
fication. 

I believe in the Holy Ghost. 

Apostles’ Creed. 

Canon H. J. Thomas, of the cathedral of 
Liege, Belgium, says in his sermon on the 
eighth article of the Apostles’ Creed, — Eng- 
lish translation: — 

You know God the Father Almighty, 
Creator of heaven and earth; you know 
also Jesus Christ, the Son of Cod, our 
loving Saviour. I will continue to instruct 
you in the great and consoling mysteries 
which faith teaches. That which is the ob- 
ject of the eighth article of the Creed is no 
less interesting than those you have already 
heard 

What is the Holy Ghost? The Holy 
Ghost whom the divine Saviour, when He 
ascended into heaven, promised to send to 
His apostles, is the Third Person of the 
Adorable Trinity. This Spirit of Truth has 
( 63 ) 


64 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

no beginning, and He shall never have an 
end. The Father, the first Person of the 
most Blessed Trinity, has no principle that 
produces Him, He exists of Himself. The 
Son, the second Person of the most Blessed 
Trinity, has no principle but the Father, by 
whom He was begotten in an unspeakable 
manner, from all eternity, The Holy Ghost, 
the third Person of the most Blessed 
Trinity, proceeds from all eternity from the 
Father and the Son, as from one and the 
same principle, without being begotten of 
either one or the other. The Father, con- 
templating and knowing Himself, begets 
another self, — a Son, called also the Word; 
that is what is meant by the eternal gener- 
ation of the Word . The Father and the 
Son, by their reciprocal love, produce the 
Holy Grhost, the term of their love, the in- 
dissoluble bond between them ; that is what 
is called the 'procession of the Holy Ghost , 
that is to say the eternal production of the 
Holy Grhost, who proceeds from the Father 
and the Son, who has with them one and 
the same substance, and who is God, like 
the God the Father and God the Son, and 
equal to them in all things. This is a truth 
which J esus Christ clearly expressed when 
He commanded His Apostles to baptize all 
nations in the name of the Father, and of 
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 


65 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

We give Him the name of Holy Ghost 
because He is the author of our sanctifi- 
cation ; because all the blessings and all the 
graces we have received from God, we 
possess from the liberality of the Holy 
Ghost, whom we ought to thank with all 
our hearts in grateful acknowledgment. It 
was the Holy Ghost who, in baptism washed 
us, sanctified us, and justified us. To Him, 
as to their source, we must attribute all the 
virtues which adorn and enrich our souls. 
It is His grace which makes virtue known 
to us, and which moves and exites our will 
to choose and put in execution the good it 
reveals to our understanding. You read a 
good book : it is the Holy Ghost who pro- 
duces and keeps in you the good desire, 
the salutary will to follow the wise counsel 
which this good book gives you. You hear 
a sermon: it is the Holy Ghost who im- 
prints on your soul the truths which the 
sensible word of the minister of Jesus 
Christ exposed only to the eyes of your 
mind, and who works on your heart and 
fills it with holy thoughts and Christian 
sentiments. Your attention is directed to 
a wise and virtuous person, to a pious and 
zealous Christian. You feel sweetly inclined 
to walk in his footsteps, to imitate his 
amiable conduct ; it is the Holy Ghost who 


66 


Come , 


gives you this attraction for virtue. Yes, 
my brethren, our sanctification will be 
effected, our salvation will be secured, if 
we always lend an attentive ear to the voice 
of the Holy Ghost, and if we faithfully obey 
His charitable inspirations. 


Come, 0 Spirit of wisdom and of knowl- 
edge, of counsel and of fortitude, of under- 
standing, of piety and of the fear of the 
Lord ; come, O Holy Ghost, establish Thy 
habitation in our souls, that under Thy 
guidance, we may know God, love God, 
serve God, and walk all the days of our 
lives in the way of His commandments, 
along the path of virtue, the only road 
which leads to the happiness of heaven. 
Amen- 



XVII. 


Devotion to the Holy Ghost an Especial Anti= 
dote against the Evils of the Day. 

You will not come to Me that you 
may have life. St. John 5:40. 

Says Bev. Father Fiege, O. M. Cap., in 
his book The Paraclete : — 

“ There is nothing new under the sun,” 
says the Wise Man. The evils of to-day 
are but the evils of yesterday. Error and 
vice have always existed. At various times 
they assume different forms to catch the 
unwary and ensnare the foolish: but at 
bottom they are ever the same. Yet, at the 
same time, each age as it comes has its 
own peculiar evils. The present age is not 
an exception. 

As to religion, it is true that the times of 
harsh bigotry have passed away ; but there 
has sprung up in its stead a spirit of total 
indifference which amounts to a practical 
denial of all religion, People say: Why 
wrangle over religious beliefs. We must 
take a charitable view of things. All re- 
( 67 ) 


68 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

ligions are good. None is necessary. The 
universal brotherhood of man is the religion 
of mankind ; universal benevolence its moral 
precept ; universal prosperity its reward. 

As to morality, public opinion may be 
pretty sound as to general moral principles ; 
and there also may exist a certain outward 
show of respectability. But it is greatly to 
be feared that beneath this thin veil there 
lies hidden a deep and wide-spread cor- 
ruption. In domestic society, the sacred 
rites and duties of matrimony, hallowed by 
God and by nature, are wantonly set aside ; 
and the results are simply appalling. In 
society at large, very little justice and 
honesty is to be found. It is perfectly true 
to say that all precepts have come to this : 
Just do as you like; only take heed not to 
be found out. To commit crime, seems to 
be crime no longer ; but to be convicted of 
crime, is real crime. 

And crime unfortunately is on the in- 
crease. Suicide, in particular, which is no 
doubt the greatest crime, is now more com- 
mon than ever. Men have lost sight of the 
supernatural. Hence, when they are de- 
tected in wrong-doing, they have recourse 
to suicide, in order to avoid present disgrace 
and escape the hands of human justice ; or 
again, when serious misfortunes or grievous 


69 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

sufferings fall to their lot, they seek for 
relief in suicide, since they have no hope in 
an hereafter. 

But the peculiar feature of the times is that 
strange infatuation which has seized hold 
of many of attempting to break through the 
laws of nature, as we know them now, and 
to hold intercourse with the inhabitants of 
the unseen world. That many strange and 
wonderful facts occur, is beyond doubt. 
Hypnotism, practised by many, has resulted 
in the most startling facts. 

Now, what does all this mean? That 
many facts are nothing but fraud and 
trickery is perfectly true. But that many 
facts must also be ascribed to the preter- 
natural agency of the evil spirits, is equally 
true. The very attempt of obtaining certain 
ends by the use of means which are neither 
ordained by nature nor sanctioned by Grod, 
is an indirect appeal to the powers of dark- 
ness. 

Now, against all such evils, devotion to 
the Holy Grhost is the most effectual anti- 
dote. For the more the Divine Spirit is 
known and honored by men, the more will 
the empire of Satan and of sin be dimin- 
ished; the more readily will men have 
recourse to the Spirit of Grod, and place 
themselves under His guidance; and the 


70 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

more willingly will they submit, above all 
things, to the divine authority of the 
Catholic Church, which may rightly be 
called an Incarnation of the Holy Ghost. 
For in her He lives and abides in the midst 
of men ; by her and through her, He speaks 
and operates in the souls of men. In the 
Catholic Church alone the true principles of 
morality and justice are taught and de- 
fended. The Catholic Church alone has 
ever upheld and defended the sacred rights 
of matrimony. In the Catholic Church 
alone are you placed in divine com- 
munication with the Blessed Spirits, nay, 
with the Divine Spirit Himself. The Catho- 
lic Church alone is the realization of the 
true brotherhood of man; her precept of 
morality, divine charity, and her reward 
peace of mind and eternal happiness. 


0 Sacred Virgin, Tabernacle of the Holy 
Ghost, we beseech thee to obtain by thy 
intercession that this Comforter, whom thy 
beloved Son sent down upon His Apostles, 
filling them thereby with spiritual joy, may 
teach us in this world the true way of sal- 
vation, and make us to walk in the way of 
virtue and good works. Amen. 


’ XVIII. 

The Divine Dove at the Baptism of Jesus. 

And behold the heavens were opened 
to Him ; and He saw the Spirit of God 
descending as a dove, and coming 
upon Him. St. Matth., 3:18. 

Archbishop M’ Evilly, of Tuam, explain- 
ing these words in his Exposition of the 
Gospels , says: — 

This manifestation was made to John the 
Baptist, that he might afterward make use of 
it as a testimony ; and the Heavenly Father 
sent the Spirit in the form of a dove, not 
to give it to our Lord, who, from His in- 
carnation was filled with the Holy Grhost, 
without measure ; but to manifest that He 
was, as had been promised (Isaias 61:1-3.) 
annointed with the gifts of the Holy Grhost, 
when He went on His public mission of 
“preaching to the poor and healing the 
contrite of heart, ” etc. The heavens were 
opened, that is to say, a fissure or rent was 
made in the upper regions of the air, out of 
which, bordered with light, the dove, sym- 
bolizing the Holy Grhost, came forth, and 
(71) 


72 


Come , Roly Ghost . 

the voice issued. This dove visibly exhibited 
to the eyes of our Lord and of the Baptist, 
the presence of the Holy Ghost, who is by 
nature invisible. The four evangelists say, 
“As a dove , 77 implying likeness or simili- 
tude. This dove-like form descended to 
point that our Lord, in whom already from 
His incarnation, “Dwelt the plenitude of 
the Divinity,” and to whom “God did not 
give the Spirit by measure , 77 was filled with 
the gifts of the Holy Grhost, of which the 
dove was a befitting emblem. As the dove 
was employed of old to point that the 
ancient world was saved from the universal 
shipwreck; so now the dove is employed 
by the Holy Grhost, to point Him out who 
is to rescue mankind from the eternal death 
of sin. This dove was not, like the human- 
ity of our Lord, hypostatically united to the 
person of the Holy Grhost; but only a 
visible symbol of His presence, with the 
fullness of His gifts, in our Redeemer. And 
the Sacred Scriptures observe that what 
happened Him symbolizes what happens 
us in baptism. When we receive the gifts 
of the Holy Grhost, heaven opens to us ; and 
we become the sons of God by the grace of 
adoption, received from the Eternal Father. 

And , behold , another event not less 
stupendous than the descent from heaven 


73 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

of the dove ; a voice from heaven , a distinct 
articulate voice, representing God the 
Father. The voice without the dove would 
not certainly point out Christ as distinctly 
referred to, any more than any one else. 
Nor would the dove without the voice 
clearly intimate anything. The voice 
showed what the dove symbolized. “This 
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well 
pleased/ 7 In looking into the face of His 
beloved Son, it no longer repenteth God 
that He made man (Gen. 6:6). He is 
pleased with sinful man, through His be- 
loved Son, Jesus Christ. The dove is once 
more employed as the messenger of peace 
and reconciliation of God with man, after 
the storm of wrath is appeased. 

Here, as is remarked by St. Jerome, we 
have revealed to the Baptist, the mystery of 
the Adorable Trinity, with a distinctness 
not vouchsafed to any of the ancient patri- 
archs or prophets. The Father, speaking in 
a distinct voice, of His Son. The Son re- 
ceiving testimony in His mortal visible 
flesh. The Holy Ghosts “the Spirit of 
God, 77 in the visible form of' a dove. 


God of my fathers and Lord of mercy, 
who hast made all things with Thy Word; 


74 


Come, Holy Ghost. 


and by Thy wisdom hast appointed man, 
that he should have dominion over the 
creature that was made by Thee, that he 
should order the world according to equity 
and justice, and execute justice with an 
upright heart : Give me wisdom that sitteth 
by Thy throne, and cast me not off from 
among Thy children ; for I am Thy servant 
and the son of Thy handmaid, and falling 
short of the understanding of judgement 
and laws. — Wisdom 9, 1-5. 



XIX. 

The Baptism of the Holy Ghost. 

I indeed baptize you with water ; but 
there shall come One mightier than I, 
the latchet of whose shoes I am not 
worthy to loose ; He shall baptize you 
with the Holy Ghost and with fire. 

St. Luke 8:16. 

Commenting on these words, in one of 
his homilies, St. John Chrysostom says: — 
St. John the Baptist, having stirred the 
minds of his hearers by the fear of Grod’s 
judgment, and the expectation of his 
punishment, and by the mention of the 
axe, and the loss of their ancestors, and by 
the bringing in of those other children, and 
by the double vengeance of cutting off and 
burning, and having by all means softened 
their hardness, and brought them to desire 
deliverance from so great evils; then he 
bringeth in what he has to say touching 
Christ; and not simply, but with declar- 
ation of His great superiority. Then is 
setting forth the difference between himself 
and Him, lest he should seem to say this 
( 75 ) 


76 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

out of favor, he establishes the fact by com- 
parison of the gifts bestowed by each of 
them. For he did not at once say, “I am 
not worthy to loose the latchet of His 
shoe”; but when he had first set forth the 
little value of his own baptism, and had 
shown that it hath nothing more than lead 
them to repentance, he sets forth Christ’s 
also, which is full of the unspeakable Gift. 
Then, to hinder the attributing what he 
had said to humility, he adds also the proof 
from the facts: “For He shall baptize you 
with the Holy Ghost and with fire.” 

Seest thou how great is the wisdom of 
the Baptist? how, when he himself is 
preaching, he saith every thing to alarm, 
and fill them with anxiety ; but when he is 
sending men to Him, whatever was mild, 
and apt to recover them: Not bringing for- 
ward the axe, nor the tree that is cut down 
and cast into the fire, nor the wrath to 
come ; but remission of sins, and removing 
of punishment, and righteousness, and 
sanctification, and redemption, and ad- 
option, and brotherhood, and a partaking 
of the inheritance, and an abundant supply 
of the Holy Ghost. For all these things he 
obscurely denoted, when he said ; ‘ ‘He shall 
baptize you with the Holy Ghost;” at once, 
by the very figure of speech declaring the 


77 


Come , Ghost. 

abundance of grace ; and by the specific- 
ation of fire, on the other hand, indicating 
the vehement and uncontrollable quality of 
His grace. 

Imagine only what sort of men it was meet 
for the hearers to become, when they con- 
sidered that they were at once to be like the 
Prophets, and like those great ones. For 
it was on this account, you see, that he 
made mention at all of fire, that he might 
lead them to reflect on the memory of those 
men. Because of all the visions that 
appeared unto them, I had almost said, the 
most part appeared in fire. Thus God dis- 
coursed with Moses in the bush, thus with 
all the people in the mount Sinai, thus with 
Ezekiel on the cherubim. 


Inflame, 0 Lord, our rains and hearts with 
the fire of Thy Holy Spirit, , that we may 
serve Thee with chaste bodies, and please 
Thee with clean hearts. Amen. 


Come, Holy Ghost. 

And Paul said to them: Have you 
received the Holy Ghost since ye be- 
lieved? But they said to him: we 
have not so much as heard whether 
there be a Holy Ghost. Acts. 19:2. 

The subjoined hymn, u Veni Creator Spi- 
ritus ”, paraphrased, is from the pen of the 
English classic poet John Dryden: — 

Creator Spirit, by whose aid 
The world's foundation first were laid, 
Come visit every pious mind ; 

Come pour Thy joys on human kind ; 

From sin and sorrow set us free, 

And make Thy temples worthy Thee. 

O Source of uncreated light, 

O Father’s promised Paraclete, 

Thrice holy fount, thrice holy fire, 

Our hearts with heavenly love inspire ; 
Come, and Thy sacred unction bring 
To sanctify us while we sing. 

( 78 ) 


Come , Holy Ghost . 79 

Plenteous of grace, descend from high, 
Rich in Thy seven-fold energy, 

Thou strength of His Almighty hand, 
Whose power does heaven and earth com- 
mand. 

Proceeding Spirit, our defence, 

Who dost the gifts of tongues dispense, 
And crown’st Thy gift with eloquence, 
Refine and purge our earthly parts ; 

But, oh, inflame and fire our hearts, 

Our frailties help, our vice control, 

Submit the senses to the soul ; 

And when rebellious they are grown, 

Then lay Thy hand, and hold ’em down. 

Chase from our minds the infernal foe, 
And peace, the fruit of love, bestow; 

And lest our feet should step astray, 
Protect and guide us in the way. 

Make us eternal truths receive, 

And practice all that we believe : 

Give us Thyself, that we may see 
The Father and the Son by Thee. 

Immortal honor, endless fame, 

Attend that Almighty Father’s name ; 

The Saviour Son be glorified, 

Who for lost man’s redemption died; 

And equal adoration be, 

Eternal Paraclete, to Thee. 


80 Come , Holy Ghost . 

My Jesus gave Himself so die by Thee, 

A spotless Sacrifice to God by Thee; 

O perfect all Thy gifts and fruits in me, 
That crowned and sceptered, I may dwell 
in Thee, 

White-robed, palm-bearing, in the light 
with Thee. 



XXI. 

The Holy Ghost the Source of Piety. 

Piety is profitable to all things, 
having promise of the life that now is, 
and of that which is to come. 

I. Tim. 4:8. 

Father Libermann in his sermon on “The 
Gift of Godliness or Piety,” in Repertorium 
Oratoris Sacri , says: — 

“The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon 
Him, .... the Spirit of knowledge and of 
godliness.” (Isaias9:2.) It is not without 
reason that these two gifts, — knowledge 
and godliness, — are joined together. The 
Holy Ghost, as the true sun of the spiritual 
life, enlightens our souls by the light of the 
sublimest truths, and at the same time 
warms them by His sacred fire, so as to 
enable them to produce fruit. In a heart 
thus enlightened and enkindled are life in 
God, joy in God, longing for God, a sacred 
desire to serve God and gain His com- 
placency. In such a heart is true piety. 
Choosing this splendid gift of the Holy 
Ghost as the subject of our meditation, let 
me speak to you : — 

I. On the prejudices against piety. “All 
who live piously in Jesus Christ,” says St. 

(81) 


82 Come , Holy Ghost. 

Paul, “shall suffer persecution. ” So it is. 
The world has ever denied the value of 
piety, “blaspheming those things which it 
knows not.” “For the sensual man per- 
ceiveth not the things that are of the Spirit 
of God; for it is foolishness to him, and he 
cannot understand, because it is spiritually 
examined.” Now, my brethren, the gift 
of piety imparted to us by the Holy Ghost, 
is far from being hypocrisy and false piety. 
It is far from hypocrisy. Piety trains hypo- 
crites who cover the corruption of their 
heart with the cloak of devotion, says the 
world. We reply: We are the first to 
brand this kind of men as imposters, laden 
with the divine curse, whose eternal lot will 
be with the reprobate. There are hypo- 
critical simulators of every virtue. Is this 
a reason not to believe any longer in 
genuine virtue? 

The gift of the Holy Ghost, on the con- 
trary, is the best remedy against hypocrisy 
and false piety. For the Holy Ghost is a 
spirit and teacher of truth. Therefore, 
“The Holy Spirit of discipline will flee from 
the deceitful ’ 9 ( Wisdom 1:5). Accordingly, 
we observe in the truly pious Christian 
harmony between the outward and the 
inner man. Moreover, the Holy Ghost con- 
demns hypocrisy in explicit terms in holy 


83 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

writ, which He inspired. He turned away 
from the chosen people, because with their 
lips they glorified Him, but their heart was 
far from Him. Jesus rebukes the hypo- 
crites as “ whited sepulchres”. The Apostle 
assigns a mark by which the seducers in the 
last period of the world are distinguished, 
when he says: “having an appearance, in- 
deed, of piety, but denying the power there- 
of.” Let us not confound the gift of the 
Holy Ghost with what is an abomination 
before the Lord, and is the work of satan, 
who “transformeth himself into an angel 
of light.” 

II. Of the effects of piety. To be pious, 
and to be virtuous, are one and the same 
thing. Piety is the mother of all other 
virtues, and renders them amiable before 
men. Humility is manifested by piety, 
when offering sacrifices of thanks and 
praise to Him to whom all honor and glory 
are due. The angelic virtue of purity finds 
its strongest weapon in prayer, its surest 
protection in the wound of the Sacred 
Heart. The virtues of charity and mercy 
spring forth at the foot of the altar, and by 
tender devotion to Jesus they grow . to 
heroism. Deprive your heroines of Christian 
charity, of the Blessed Sacrament, of prayer, 
of the spirit of piety, and the fountain of 
charity and of sacrifices will soon dry up 


84 


Come, Holy Ghost . 

within their hearts. And in the world, who 
are the great benefactors of the poor and 
suffering? Those who frequent our churches. 
To them 4 ‘religion pure and unspotted with 
God and the Father is this: To visit the 
fatherless and widows in their tribulation,” 
as St. James teaches. But the charity of 
the world toward the poor, how cold and 
even how selfish. 

By piety even the earthly task of man is 
sanctified. By a good intention all earthly 
pursuits are sanctified, so that we are en- 
abled always to pray and not to faint, and 
to pray at all times in the Spirit, as the 
sacred Scriptures admonish us. The spirit 
of piety far from estranging man from his 
vocation, encourages him in all his labors, 
and renders him more faithful in his 
stewardship, more consciencious in ac- 
complishing the duties of his vocation. 
How precious, then, is the gift of piety; 
how great its consolation, and the delight 
of devotion. Where piety is, there is life 
in God. 


Thee, God, the Father unbegotten, Thee, 
only begotten Son, Thee, Holy Ghost, the 
Paraclete, holy and undivided Trinity, Thee 
we proclaim with all our heart and soul: 
we praise Thee and we bless Thee : glory be 
to Thee forever. Amen. 


XXII. 

The Written and the Unwritten Word. 

All thy children shall be taught of 
the I^ord. Isaias 54:13. 

The great St. John Chrysostom com- 
menting on the opening words of the 
Gospel of St. Matthew, in his first homily 
on that Gospel, says : — 

It were indeed meet for us not at all to 
require the aid of the Written Word, but to 
exhibit a life so pure, that the grace of the 
Spirit should be instead of books to our 
souls, and that as these are inscribed with 
ink, so should our hearts be with the Spirit. 
But, since we have utterly put away from 
us this Grace , come, and let us at any rate 
embrace the second best- course. For that 
the former was better, God hath made 
manifest, both by His word and by his 
doings. Since unto Noah, and unto Abra- 
ham, and unto his offspring, and unto Job, 
and unto Moses too, He discoursed not. by 
writings, but Himself by Himself, finding 
( 85 ) 


86 


Gome , Holy Ghost . 

their mind pure. But after the whole 
people of the Hebrews had fallen into the 
very pit ot wickedness, then and thereafter 
was a written word, and tables, and the ad- 
monition which is given by these. 

And this one may perceive was the case, 
not of the saints of the Old Testament only, 
but also of those of the New. For neither 
to the Apostles did God give anything in 
writing, but instead of written words He 
promised that He would give the grace of 
the Spirit: “For He,” saith our Lord, 
“shall bring all things to your remem- 
brance.” And that thou mayest learn that 
this was far better, hear what He said by 
the Prophet: “I will make a new covenant 
with you, putting my laws into their mind, 
and in their heart I will write them, and 
they shall be taught of God.” And Paul, 
too, pointing out the same superiority, said, 
that, they received a law, “not in tables of 
stone, but in the fleshy tables of the heart.” 
But since in process of time they made 
shipwreck, some with regard to doctrines, 
others as to life and manners, there was 
again need that they should be put in re- 
membrance by the written word. 

Reflect, then, how great an evil it is for 
us, who ought to live so purely, as not even 
to need written words, but to yield up our 


87 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

hearts, as books to the Spirit; now, that 
we have lost that honor, and are come to 
have need of these, to fail again in 
duly employing even this second remedy. 
For if it be a blame to stand in need of 
written words, and not to have brought 
down on ourselves the grace of the Spirit ; 
consider how heavy the charge, of not 
choosing to profit even after this assistance, 
but rather treating what is written with 
neglect, as if it were cast forth without 
purpose, and at random, and so bringing 
down upon ourselves our punishment with 
increase. But that no such a fact may 
ensue, let us give strict heed unto the 
things that are written; and let us learn 
how the Old Law was given on the one 
hand, how on the other the New Covenant. 

In the Old Testament, it was upon Moses 
going up, that Glod came down; but here, 
when our nature hath been carried up into 
heaven, or rather unto the Royal Throne, 
then the Spirit makes his descent. Since 
the Apostles came not down from a moun- 
tain, as Moses, bearing monuments of 
stone in their hands, but carrying about 
the Spirit in their mind, and pouring forth 
a kind of treasure and fountain of doctrines 
and of gifts and of all things that are good, 
so they went everywhere around, and be- 


88 


Come , Holy Ghost . 


came, through that grace, living books and 
laws. Thus they won over the “three 
thousand 7 7 , thus the “five thousand 77 , and 
thus the nations of the world ; God by their 
tongue, discoursing with all that approach 
them. 


O Spirit of God, bring me to my Re- 
deemer in Sion, that I may inherit the land 
in which are trees of Thy planting, and 
harvests of which Thou didst sow the seed. 
Be to me an everlasting joy, and give me 
Thy everlasting light, O Spirit of love and 
grace. Make me, the least of Thy servants, 
an everlasting glory where the sun goeth 
down no more. Amen. 



XXIII. 


Love and Do as You Please. 

He that loveth his neighbor hath 
fulfilled the law. Rom. 13:8. 

St. Augustine says 4 ‘Love, and do as you 
please” ; and we read in the Life of St. Vin- 
cent of Paul ) that miracle of active Christian 
charity, that all his actions were regulated 
by that eternal law of love. His most 
ardent desires were that God should be 
everywhere known, loved and served by all 
His creatures. All that he said, all that he 
did, tended but to enkindle and increase 
this divine love in all hearts. He con- 
tinually intensified the holy ardor of love in 
his own heart by the most frequent and 
affectionate aspirations. 

St. Vincent was not content with loving 
God in word, with conceiving elevated 
sentiments of His goodness and desires of 
His glory, but he reduced his love to 
practice, proving it, as the Apostle, re- 
( 89 ) 


90 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

quires, by worxs. Hence do we find him 
exhorting his brethren to love God with the 
work of their hands and the sweat of their 
brows. ‘ ‘For often , 7 7 said he, ‘ ‘so many acts 
of the love of God and other affections of a 
tender heart, though very good and de- 
sirable, are, nevertheless, to be suspected 
unless they incite to the practice of works 
of charity. For in this is my Father glorified, 
said our Lord, that you bring forth very 
much fruit, and that your fruit should 
remain . 77 

Such pure and holy sentiments nurtured 
in his heart an ardent desire to procure the 
glory of God, and to induce all with whom 
he held intercourse to conceive the same 
desire. He wished that a true disciple of 
Jesus Christ, the Man-God, should consider 
the motives of his acts by questioning him- 
self at the beginning of each one : Why do 
I undertake- this thing? Is it to please my- 
self? — is it to please a weak creature, or is 
it only to accomplish the will of God, and 
to follow the movements of His Holy 
Spirit? “How much should we merit , 77 he 
adds, “if we were to attain to the happy 
felicity of willing all in God and for God? 
Our life would resemble that of the angels, 
rather than that of Man; it would in a 
manner be all divine, since all our actions 


Come , Holy Ghost . 91 

would be done by the impulse and grace of 
the Holy Spirit.” 

O God who by the fruitful virginity of 
Blessed Mary, hast bestowed on mankind 
the reward of eternal salvation ; grant, we 
beseech Thee, that we may experience the 
intercession of her, through whom we have 
had the happiness to receive the Author of 
life, our Lord Jesus Christ, who livest and 
reignest with Thee in the unity of the Holy 
Ghost, world without end. Amen. 



XXIV. 

Heresies Regarding the Holy Ghost. 

Careful to preserve the unity of the 
Spirit in the bond of peace. 

Ephes. 4:3. 

Scarcely had the Christian religion been 
established than man in his pride began to 
rebel, and heresies sprang up. The most 
dangerous and wide-spread of these in the 
early Church was the Arian heresy, started 
by Arius, a learned but proud man, who 
died a miserable death about the year 336. 
It spread with great rapidity over all eastern 
Asia, Egypt and south and south-eastern 
Europe; and, having the support of the 
secular arm, it caused great devastation in 
the Church. St. Alphonsus Liguori, in his 
History of the Heresies thus sums it up : — 
Arius taught, first, that the Word was 
not from all eternity, but was brought forth 
out of nothing by the Father, and created, 
the same as one of ourselves ; and, secondly, 
that Christ, according to His free will, was 
of a mutable nature, and that He might 
(92) 


93 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

have followed vice, but that, as He em- 
braced goodness, God, as a reward for His 
good works, made Him a participator in the 
divine nature, and honored Him with the 
title of the Word, the Son, and of Wisdom. 
Though Arius did not deny the divinity of 
the Holy Ghost, still it was a necessary 
consequence of his principles, for, denying 
the Son to be God, the Holy Ghost, who 
proceeds from the Father and the Son, 
could not be God. And all those followers 
of his who blasphemously taught that the 
Son was not like unto the Father, attacked 
also the divinity of the Holy Ghost, and the 
chief defender and propagator of this heresy 
was Macedonius. The saint then gives 
himself to the refutation of this heresy 
in so far at it relates to the denial of the 
divinity of the Third Person of the Blessed 
Trinity, from which only one text with his 
comments will be given. He says: Here 
we will prove that the Holy Ghost is true 
God, equal and con-substantial to the 
Father and the Son. To prove that this is 
an article of faith, I do not myself think 
any more is necessary than to quote the 
text of St. Matthew, in which is related the 
commission given by Christ to His Apostles : 
“Go, ye, therefore, teach all nations, baptiz- 
ing them in the name of the Father, and 


94 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” It is 
in this belief we profess, the Christian re- 
ligion, which is founded on the mystery of 
the Trinity, the principal one of our faith ; 
it is by these words the character of a 
Christian is impressed on every one entering 
into the Church by baptism; this is the 
formula approved by all the Fathers, and 
used from the earliest ages of the Church : 
“I baptize thee in the name of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’ ’ 
As the three Persons are named con- 
secutively, and without any difference, the 
equality of the authority and power be- 
longing to them is declared. Thus, as the 
Trinity is one and undivided, so is the faith 
of three Persons united in it, one and un- 
divided. We, therefore, are bound to be- 
lieve that the name of the Holy Ghost, that 
is, the name of the Third Person expressed 
by these two words, so frequently used in 
the Scriptures, is not an imaginary name, 
or casually invented, but the name of the 
Third Person, God, like the Father and the 
Son. We should remember, likewise, that 
the expression, Holy Ghost, is, properly 
speaking, but one word, for either of its 
component parts might be applied to the 
Father or the Son, for both are holy, both 
are spirit, but this word is the proper name 
of the Third Person of the Trinity. 


95 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

Almighty and eternal God, who hast 
granted to Thy servants to acknowledge the 
glory of the Eternal Trinity in the con- 
fession of the true faith, and to adore unity 
in the power of majesty; we beseech Thee, 
that by the same faith, we may be ever 
protected from all adversities. Through our 
Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, who livest and 
reignest in the unity of the Holy Ghost, 
world without end. Amen. 


XXY. 

The Same Continued. 

When the Paraclete cometh, whom 
I will sent you from the Father, the 
Spirit of Truth who proceedeth from 
the Father, He shall give testimony of 
Me. St. John 15:26. 

Concerning the heresy of the Greeks, 
who denied that the Holy Ghost proceeds 
from both the Father and the Son, main- 
taining that He proceeds from the Father 
only, St. Liguori says, in the work already 
quoted: — 

It is necessary to remark here, in order 
not to confuse the matter, that the heresy 
of the schismatical Greeks consists in deny- 
ing the procession of the Holy Ghost from 
the Father and the Son ; they contend that 
He proceeds from the Father alone, and 
that is the difference between the Greek and 
the Latin Churches. The learned have not 
yet agreed on the author of this heresy. 
Some say it was Theodoret, in his refutation 
( 96 ) 


97 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

of the ninth anathematism of St. Cyril, 
against Nestorius, but others again defend 
him, and explain the passage of his works 
which gave rise to this opinion, by saying 
that he only meant to prove that the Holy 
Ghost was not a creature, as the Arians 
and Macedonians asserted. This heresy, 
up to the time of Phosius, was only held by 
a few persons, but on his intrusion into the 
see of Constantinople, in 858, and especially 
in 863, when he was condemned by Pope 
Nicholas I., he constituted himself, not 
only the chief of the schism, which for so 
many years has separated the Greek and 
Latin Churches, but induced the whole 
Greek Church to embrace this heresy, — that 
the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father 
alone, and not from the Son. Fourteen 
times, Osius writes, up to the time of the 
Council of Florence, held in 1439, the 
Greeks renounced this error, and united 
themselves to the Latin Church, but always 
relapsed again. In the Council of Florence, 
they themselves agreed in defining that the 
Hoiy Ghost proceeds from the Father and 
the Son, and it was thought that the union 
would be everlasting ; but such was not the 
case, for after the Council, they again re- 
turned to their vomit, at the instigation of 
Mark of Ephesus. I now speak of those 


98 Come , Holy Ghost. 

Greeks who were under the obedience of 
the Eastern Patriarchs, for the others who 
were not subject to them remained united 
in faith to the Roman Church. Turning to 
the refutation of this error, our saint says 
that, the procession of the Holy Ghost both 
from the Father and the Son is proved by 
the words of St. John: “When the Paraclete 
cometh, whom I will sent from the Father, 
the Spirit of Truth who proceedeth from 
the Father”, etc. This text not only 
proves that the Holy Ghost proceeds from 
the Father ; but also that the Holy Ghost 
proceeds from the Son, as is shown by the 
words: “Whom I will send.” And the 
same expression is repeated in other places. 
In the Divinity, a Person is not spoken of as 
sent, unless by another Person from whom 
He proceeds. The Father, as He is the 
origin of the Divinity, is never spoken of in 
the scripture as being sent. The Son, as He 
proceeds from the Father alone, is said to 
be sent, but it is never said thus of the Holy 
Ghost: “As the living Father hath sent 
Me,” etc. “God sent His Son, made of 
woman,” etc. When, therefore, the Holy 
Ghost is said to be sent from the Father 
and the Son, He proceeds from the Son as 
well as from the Father; especially as this 
mission of one divine Person from another 


99 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

cannot be understood either in the way of 
command or instruction, or another way, 
for in the divine Persons both authority 
and wisdom are equal. We, therefore, 
understand one Person as sent by another, 
according to the origin, and according to 
the procession of one Person from the 
other, this procession implying neither in- 
equality nor dependence. If, therefore, the 
Holy Ghost is said to be sent by the Son, 
He proceeds from the Son. 

The Greeks say that the Son does not 
send the Person of the Holy Ghost, but only 
His gifts and grace, which are attributed to 
the Holy Spirit. But we answer that this 
interpretation is wrong, for in the passage 
of St. John, just quoted, it is said that this 
Spirit of Truth, sent by the Son, proceeds 
from the Father, therefore, the Son does 
not send the gifts of the Holy Ghost, but 
the Spirit of Truth Himself, who proceeds 
from the Father. 

Finally in the Council of Florence, held 
under Eugenius IV., in the year 1438, in 
which both the Greeks and Latins were 
again united, it was decided unanimously, 
“that, this truth of faith should be believed 
and held by all Christians, and that all 
should then profess that the Holy Ghost 
eternally proceeds from the Father and the 


L.of C. 


100 


Come , Holy Ghost . 


Son, as from one principle, and by one 
spiration.” 

This must suffice in the way of con- 
troversy, which was introduced with a view 
of giving some idea of the errors regarding 
the Holy Ghost by which the Church has 
been afflicted in the course of her long 
career. They do not now interest those 
within the pale of Holy Church; nor, it 
may be said, do they interest those outside, 
for, like the Ephesians of old, on account of 
their indifference most of them “have not 
so much as heard whether there be a Holy 
Ghost.” 


(Devoutly recite the Apostles’ Creed.) 



XXVI. 


The Holy Ghost and the Incarnation. 

Drop down dew, ye heavens, from 
above, and let the clouds rain the Just 
One : let the earth be opened, and bud 
forth a Saviour. Isaias 54:8. 

No one who attentively reads the Life of 
our Lord Jesus Christ by St. Bonaventure 
can fail to see that his heart was being con- 
sumed with divine love ; and hence in this 
admirable work he frequently gives way to 
the promptings of the Spirit that burns 
within him while treating of the life of our 
divine Lord, which he had learned from the 
pages of Holy Writ, inspired by the same 
Holy Gihost. The heart is filled with a 
peculiar sweetness in reading his pages, and 
one cannot but remember the remark of St. 
Philip Neri, I think it was, who said ‘he 
always preferred to read the book of a 
writer who had an “S” prefixed to his name. 
Penetrating, like the “ disciple whom Jesus 
loved” into the very heavens, he says: — 
( 101 ) 


102 Come , Holy Ghost . 

When the fullness of time was come, and 
the most Blessed Trinity had deliberated on 
the means of providing for the redemption 
of mankind, by the incarnation of the 
Word; Christ resolved to take flesh of the 
Blessed Virgin, through His immense char- 
ity with which He loved mankind. His 
mercy moved Him, and paying a particular 
regard to the instances of the celestial 
spirits, when the Blessed Virgin was re- 
turned to Nazareth, Almighty God called to 
Him the Angel Grab riel, and said to him: 
“Go to our best beloved daughter, espoused 
to Joseph, the dearest to Us of all our 
creatures, and tell her that My Son delights 
in her form, and hath chosen her for His 
mother. Request her to receive Him joy- 
fully ; for I have decreed to save mankind 
by her means, and to blot out of My 
memory the injury they have done Me.” 

Gabriel, with serene and cheerful aspect, 
prostrate on his knees, in a devout and 
reverent posture, listens attentively to the 
divine embassy. That received, away the 
angelic messenger hastens from the celestial 
regions, and in the borrowed dress of human 
likeness, quick as thought, presents him- 
self before the holy Virgin Mary, in the 
inmost recess of her little habitation, yet 
not so expeditious was his flight, but that 


103 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

the Blessed Trinity, anticipating Their am- 
bassador, were in the happy mansion before 
him. 

For this you must take along with you, 
that, though the person of the Son alone 
was made man, yet the whole sacred Trinity 
was concerned in His incarnation. The 
Father and the Holy Ghost co-operating 
alike in this august and unutterable mystery. 
Oh, what scope may not this subject afford 
your meditation. What reflections may 
you not gather from the little mansion, 
where such personages are assembled, and 
such ineffable mysteries wrought by them. 
For, though the sacred Trinity be un- 
doubtedly always everywhere present, yet in 
this place, at this juncture, it was present 
in a more singular and ineffable manner 
than usual, on account of the supernatural 
and unspeakable work then and there 
effected. The angel Gabriel then arrived 
at the holy mansion, and entering to the 
Blessed Virgin, thus the faithful proxy 
began his message: “Hail, full of grace, 
the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou 
among women.” Mary was disturbed at 
the angePs speech. Not that she in the 
least mistrusted the angePs veracity; but, 
because it is ever the faculty of the truly 
humble to tend to perfection, by examining 


104 Come, Holy Ghost. 

into, and magnifying their defects, while 
they either remain wholly insensible of any 
merit in themselves, or see it through the 
lessening end of the perspective. Thus, as 
it becomes a prudent, fearful and modest 
virgin, our Lady remained silent, returning 
no answer to the angelical salutation, as if 
not knowing what to reply. But the sacred 
messenger encouraged her in these words : 
“Fear not, Mary, nor be concerned at the 
encomium I render you. You are not only 
full of grace yourself, but even born to be 
the means of restoring all mankind to the' 
grace of God, which they had lost. For, 
behold, you shall conceive, and bring forth 
the Son of the Most High, who has chosen 
you to be an instrument of the salvation 
destined to all who put their trust in Him.” 
Wherefore, she requested the angel to 
acquaint her with the manner of the con- 
ception, in the following words: “How 
shall this be effected upon me who have 
dedicated myself to God by a vow of per- 
petual virginity?” “It will be brought 
about,” replied the angel, “by the singular 
and ineffable operation of the Holy Ghost, 
by whose power you will be replenished, 
and conceive without prejudice to your 
virginity; and, therefore, will your son be 
called the Son of God. For nothing to 
Him is impossible.” 


105 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

The Blessed Virgin, after hearing the 
forementioned words of the angel, with a 
prudence equaly to the rest of her conduct, 
gave her consent; and, as her revelations 
declare, kneeling with her hands joined in 
a devout posture, said: “Behold the hand- 
maid of the Lord: Be it done to me accord- 
ing to thy word.” 

Meditate, then, on the greatness of this 
day’s solemnity. Let your heart rejoice, 
and the day be crowned with holy mirth ; 
a day hitherto unheard of since the be- 
ginning of time. A day devoted to the 
honor of God the Father who celebrates the 
nuptials of His Son, espoused to human 
nature, which He has inseparably united to 
Himself. A day sacred to the wedding of 
the divine Son, and His entrance into the 
virginal womb, through which He has to 
pass into the world. A day solemn to the 
Holy Ghost, by whose singular and won- 
derful co-operation the work of the In- 
carnation was effected; and whose extra- 
ordinary benignity this day began to 
show itself to mankind. A day of glory to 
our blessed Lady, who on the same day 
was acknowledged and assumed by the 
Father for a daughter, — by the Son for a 
mother, — by the Holy Ghost for a spouse. 
A day of rejoicing to the heavenly choir, 


106 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

on account of the work of their reparation 
commencing from it; but more especially 
to mankind, on account of their salvation, 
redemption and reconciliation ; for on this 
day properly was the whole human nature 
exalted and deified. 


0 Holy Grhost, Spirit of the Father and 
the Son, strengthen in me the gift of piety; 
perfect in me the beatitude of the meek; 
and help me to pray according to Thy will. 
Amen. 


XXVII. 


The Holy Ghost and Jesus Christ. 

The Holy Ghost shall come upon 
thee, and the power of the Most High 
shall overshadow thee. And, there- 
fore, the Holy which shall be born of 
thee shall be called the Son of God. 

St. Tuke 1:35. 

The Paraclete . A Manual of Instruction 
and Devotion , just published by Father 
Marianus Fiege, 0. M. Cap., is an evidence 
that devotion to the Third Person of the 
Blessed Trinity is fast becoming the leading 
devotion of our time. The following 
selection will afford an idea of the manner 
in which the devout religious treats his 
subject: — 

The Holy Ghost and Jesus Christ. 

1 . Jesus Christ given by the Holy Ghost. 
Jesus Christ is your Saviour. But who has 
given you this Saviour? It was the Holy 
Ghost. 

2. The world prepared for the coming 
of the Redeemer by the Holy Ghost. It 

( 107 ) 


108 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

was the Holy Ghost who prepared the 
world for the coming of the divine Re- 
deemer. It was He who preserved intact 
the knowledge of the true, living God 
among His chosen people, in spite of the 
blindness and corruption which surrounded 
them. He it was who taught the patriarchs, 
who spoke by the mouths of the prophets, 
who moved and guided the pen of the 
sacred writers, and who filled the hearts of 
the just with an ardent longing for the 
speedy adyent of the promised Messias. 

3. The Mother of the Redeemer, pre- 
pared by the Holy Ghost. It was the Holy 
Ghost who singled out from among all the 
daughters of Eve, Mary, who is “ blessed 
among women,” and of whom was to be 
born Christ the Saviour. He it was who 
prepared her so as to be a worthy mother 
of the Son of God, the Redeemer of man- 
kind. This He did by bestowing upon her 
that singular gift, the Immaculate Con- 
ception, by which He preserved her from 
contracting the stain of original guilt, re- 
plenished her with grace from the very first 
moment of her existence, and guarded her, 
likewise, from the least taint or stain of 
actual sin. 

4. The mystery of the Incarnation ac- 
complished by the Holy Ghost. It was 


109 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

through the Holy Ghost that “the Word 
was made Flesh”. He it was who “over- 
shadowed” Mary and who, by a most 
mysterious operation, fashioned within her 
the most sacred Manhood of Jesus Christ. 

5. The sacred Manhood of Jesus en- 
dowed with the gifts of the Holy Ghost who 
adorned the sacred Manhood of Jesus 
Christ with the choicest gifts of nature and 
of grace, “annointing Him with the oil of 
gladness above His fellows”; so that “He 
was beautiful above the sons of men,” and 
“advanced in wisdom, and age, and grace, 
with God and men,” according to the 
prophecy of Isaias: “The Spirit of the Lord 
shall rest upon Him.” 

6. The divinity of Jesus Christ mani- 
fested by the Holy Ghost. It was the Holy 
Ghost who bore witness to the divine 
Nature and mission of Jesus Christ. He it 
was who inspired with a most lively faith, 
not only the lowly shepherds on the moun- 
tain side of Bethlehem, but also the Wise 
Men from the East ; so that they humbly 
adored as their God, Him whom they beheld 
lying in the manger as a new-born babe. 
It was He who made known the divine 
character of the Holy Child to Simeon and 
the devout Anna, on the occasion of His 
being brought to the temple to be presented 


110 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

to the Lord. He it was who, in the visible 
form of a dove, publicly proclaimed His 
divinity. He it was by whose power the 
apostles, at the mere bidding of Jesus, left 
all things and followed Him, believing Him 
to be the true Messias and the Son of God. 
He it was who afterward confirmed them in 
the faith, and enabled them, by their 
preaching, to convert the whole world to 
the gospel of their divine Master. 

7. Jesus Christ still on earth through 
the operation of the Holy Ghost. It is by 
the grace of the Holy Ghost that Jesus 
Christ even now reigns in the hearts of 
millions of men on earth, and will reign to 
the end of time. It is by the power of the 
Holy Ghost that Jesus Christ even now per- 
sonally abides in our midst through His 
sacramental presence in the Holy Eucharist, 
to be daily offered in sacrifice upon the al- 
tar, and to be given as food for the spiritual 
refreshment of the soul. 


O Sweet Spirit of God, be Thou my helper 
and protector, my guide and my comforter 
this day, and all the days of my life. Grant 
that I may heed Thy divine inspirations 
and faithfully obey them. Enlighten me to 
know what is right, and give me strength 
to do it. 


Ill 


Come , Holy Ghost . 


Sweet Mary, my Mother, Immaculate 
Spouse of the Holy Ghost, do thou assist 
me by thy powerful intercession. O thou, 
who art the Health of the weak, the Refuge 
of sinners, the Help of Christians, pray for 
me. Amen. 





XXVIII. 

The Word Was Hade Flesh. 

Joseph, son of David, fear not to 
take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that 
which is conceived in her is of the 
Holy Ghost. St. Matt. 1, 20. 

Cardinal Wiseman, speaking in one of 
his sermons of the Maternity of the Blessed 
Virgin, says with regard to the Incarnation 
and the account of it and of the infancy 
and childhood of the Redeemer of the world, 
both of which we owe to Mary and her 
Divine Spouse under whose action and in- 
spiration they were effected: — 

To take part in the work of God silently, 
unknown, without reward from mankind, 
at least during life, without those incentives 
which make men equal to a great and high 
mission in the world, that merit was re- 
served for Mary, without whose co-opera- 
tion it would be hard to say in what state 
mankind would have been. God was 
pleased that it should depend on her that 
the greatest of mysteries should be accom- 
( 112 ) 


113 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

plished. He gives her time to deliberate; 
He accords her permission to suggest diffi- 
culties, to make her own terms, that she 
shall not have to surrender the precious 
gift, which she values higher than the 
highest imaginable of honors ; and so it was 
not until she had said, “Behold the hand- 
maid of the Lord, be it done unto me ac- 
cording to Thy word,” that the great mys- 
tery was accomplished. 

And now pause for a moment. Here is 
the greatest of Giod’s works, not since the 
creation of the world, but during the end- 
less ages of His own existence, the Word 
incarnate, the Y7ord made flesh. Yet how 
singular is the part of Mary in this mystery. 
She utters the words ; they scarce fall from 
her lips, and she alone remains entrusted, 
not only with the precious gift itself, but 
with the knowledge of it. No one else can 
have known it. Joseph himself was not 
aware of it, till an angel revealed it to him. 
I beg here to make a remark which may, 
perhaps, be useful in conversing with 
others. Look at those men who, unhappily 
for themselves, know not, and understand 
not, the prerogatives of Mary; look, I will 
not say, at those more wretched men who 
have the hardihood, the unfeelingness, the 
brutality to decry her, but to those who, in 


114 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

more respectful terms, profess simply to 
overlook her. Just see the position in 
which such persons are placed, as to their 
belief. They say, “We cannot worship,” 
as they call it, “the Virgin Mary; we can- 
not honor her, because in doing so we 
should be derogating from the honor due to 
her Son, to the Word incarnate, to Jesus 
Christ.” I would say to these men: How 
do you know that He is incarnate? How 
do you know that the Son of God became 
man? You say in your creed that He was 
conceived of the Holy Ghost. Who gave 
you evidence of that conception? Gabriel 
did not manifest it. He vanished as soon 
as he had delivered his message. The 
Evangelists themselves, — the one from 
whom I have quoted, — tells us that “Mary 
laid up all these words in her heart,” and 
that he sought information from those who 
knew everything from the beginning. Mary 
was the only, sole witness in the world, to 
the mystery of the incarnation. There was 
only her word that she conceived thus 
miraculously of the Holy Ghost. She told 
it to the Apostles, and they believed it, and 
recorded it with the sanction of the Holy 
Ghost. The real source of the historical 
and inspired testimony of the accomplish- 
ment of the great mystery of the incarna- 


115 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

tion is Mary; and those who reject her 
could not have come to the belief, except 
through her testimony, that Grod took upon 
him our nature. It is through her that they 
know it ; yet they pretend that to honor her 
is at His expense. But as it was through 
her co-operation that this great mystery 
was wrought, so was it right that through 
her it should be communicated. 


0 my Mother, give me Jesus as thou didst 
give Him to the shepherds, to the wise men 
and to the aged Simeon. Yes, when I see 
the priest about to give me Holy Com- 
munion, I will imagine I see Jesus in thy 
hands; and if thou wilt let me, dearest 
Mother, I will imagine I receive Him from 
thy most pure hands, that so I may receive 
Him more reverently and with greater profit 
and devotion. Amen. 


XXIX. 

The Glories of Hary for the Sake of Her Son. 

And the Word was made flesh, and 
dwelt amongst us. St. John, 1, 14. 

Cardinal Newman, that perfect master of 
thought and language, in his sermon on 
“The Glories of Mary for the Sake of Her 
Son,” in Discourses to Mixed Congregations 
says: 

The great truths of revelation are all con- 
nected and form one whole. Every one 
can see this in a measure even at a glance, 
but to understand the full consistency and 
harmony of Catholic teaching requires 
study and meditation. Hence, as philoso- 
phers of this world bury themselves in mus- 
eums and laboratories, descend into mines, 
or wander among woods or on the sea- 
shore, so the inquirer into heavenly truths 
dwells in the cell and the oratory, pouring 
forth his heart in prayer, collecting his 
thoughts in meditation, dwelling on the 
idea of Jesus, or of Mary, or of grace, or of 
eternity, and pondering the words of holy 
men who have gone before him, till before 
his mental sight arises the hidden wisdom 
( 116 ) 


117 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

of the perfect, “ which God predestined be- 
fore the world unto our glory, 7 ? and which 
He “ reveals unto them by His Spirit.” 
And as ignorant men dispute the beauty 
and harmony of the visible creation, so 
men, who for six days in the week are ab- 
sorbed in worldly toil, who live for wealth, 
or name, or self-indulgence, or profane 
knowledge, and do but give their leisure 
moments to the thought of religion, never 
raising their souls to God, never asking for 
His enlightening grace, never chastening 
their hearts and bodies, never steadily con- 
templating the objects of faith, but judging 
hastily and peremptorily according to their 
private views or the humor of the hour; 
such men, I say, in like manner, may easily, 
or will for certain, be surprised and shocked 
at portions of revealed truth, as if strange, 
or harsh, or extreme, or inconsistent, and 
will in whole or in part reject it. 

I am going to apply this remark to the 
subject of the prerogatives with which the 
Church invests the Blessed Mother of God. 
They are startling and difficult to those 
whose imagination is not accustomed to 
them, and whose reason has not reflected 
on them ; but the more carefully and religi- 
ously they are dwelt on, the more, I am 
sure, they will be found essential to the 
Catholic faith, and integral to the worship 


118 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

of Christ. This simply is the point which 
I will insist on that the glories of Mary are 
for the sake of Jesns. 

When the Eternal Word decreed to come 
on earth, He did not purpose, He did not 
work by halves ; but He came to be a man 
like any of us, to take a human soul and 
body, and to make them His own. He 
“was made flesh. ” He attached to Him- 
self a manhood, and became as really and 
truly man as He was God, so that hence- 
forth He was both God and man, or, in 
other words, He was One Person in two 
natures. This is a mystery so marvelous, 
so difficult, that faith alone firmly receives 
it. That “in the beginning was the Word, 
and the Word was with God, and the Word 
was God, and the Word was made flesh and 
dwelt amongst us,” was too hard a thing 
for the unregenerate reason. The case is 
the same today; mere Protestants have sel- 
dom any real perception of the doctrine of 
God and man in One Person. They speak 
in a dreamy, shadowy way of Christ's divin- 
ity; but, when their meaning is sifted, you 
will find them very slow to commit them- 
selves to any statement sufficient to express 
the Catholic dogma. 

Now, if you would witness against these 
unchristian opinions, if you would bring 
out distinctly and beyond mistake and 


119 


Come , j Holy Ghost . 

evasion, the simple idea of the Catholic 
Church that God is man, could you do it 
better than by laying down in St. John’s 
words that “God became man?” and again, 
could you express this more emphatically 
and unequivocally than by declaring that 
He was born a man, or that He had a 
Mother f The world allows that God is a 
man ; the admission costs it little, for God 
is everywhere, and is every thing; but it 
shrinks from the confessing that God is the 
Son of Mary. It shrinks, for it is at once 
confronted with a severe fact, which shat- 
ters its own unbelieving view of things; the 
revealed doctrine forthwith takes its true 
shape, and receives an historical reality; 
and the Almighty is introduced into His 
own world at a certain time, and in a 
definite way. “The Holy Ghost shall come 
upon thee, and the power of the Most High 
shall overshadow thee. And therefore also 
the Holy which shall be born of thee shall 
be called the Son of God.” St. Luke 1, 35. 


0 God, who by the humility of Thy Son, 
didst raise up a fallen world, grant to Thy 
faithful everlasting joy: that those whom 
Thou hast delivered from the evils of eter- 
nal death, Thou mayest make to enjoy 
everlasting happiness, through the same 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 


XXX. 

The Presentation in the Temple. 

He had received an answer from the 
Holy Ghost that he should not see 
death, before he had seen the Christ 
of the Lord. And he came by the 

Spirit into the temple And he 

also took Him into his arms and 
blessed God. St. Luke 2. 27, 28. 

Writing of the presentation of the Child 
Jesus in the temple and the prophecy of 
Holy Simeon, Father Faber, in his Foot of 
the Cross ; or, The Sorrows of Mary, says: — 
There is the Incarnate Word, whom the 
silent angels of the temple are worshipping 
in tremulous awe, as He crosses the thresh- 
old of His earthly house. Did the lights go 
out in the Holy of the Holies, now that 
the Holiest of all was outside the veil, 
throned in a mortal Mother’s arms? Mary 
made her offering, and “performed all 
things according to the law of the Lord.” 
She bore also in her arms her true turtle- 
dove, to do for him likewise “according to 
the law.” She placed Him in the arms of 
( 120 ) 


121 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

the aged priest Simeon , as she has done 
since in vision to*, so many of the saints; 
and the full light broke on Simeon’s sonl. 
Weak with age he threw his arms around 
his God. He bore the whole weight of his 
Creator, and yet stood upright. The sight 
of that infant face was nothing less than 
the glory of heaven. The Holy Ghost had 
kept His promise. Simeon had seen, — nay, 
was at that moment handling “the Lord’s 
Christ.” O blessed priest, worn down with 
age, wearied with long years of waiting for 
the “consolation of Israel,” kept alive in 
days that were out of harmony with thy 
spirit, even as St. John was after thee; 
surely He who made thee, He who is so 
soon to judge thee, He whom thou art fold- 
ing so fondly in thine arms, must have sent 
the strenght of His omnipotence into thy 
heart, else thou wouldst never have been 
able to bear the flood of strong gladness 
which at that moment broke in upon thy 
spirit. 

There is other poetry in Simeon than 
those strains of light which flashed from 
him but a while ago. There is other music 
now for Mary’s ear, the terrible music of 
dark prophecy which the Holy Ghost utters 
from His sanctuary in the old priest’s 
heart ; and we would fain think that Simeon 


122 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

held Jesus in his arms when he uttered it, 
by the very way in which he begins. “Be- 
hold, this Child is set for the fall, and for 
the resurrection of many in Israel; and for 
a sign that shall be contradicted. And thy 
own soul a sword shall pierce.” Simeon 
was silent. But over Mary’s soul there 
came an inexplicable change. Perhaps she 
learned now what she had not known be- 
fore. But more probably it only came to 
her in another way. Yet it was a change, 
an operation of grace, a new sanctification, 
an immense work of God. A clear and de- 
tailed vision of all her sorrows, especially 
of the whole passion, was with its minutest 
circumstances instantaneously impressed 
upon her soul ; and her immaculate heart 
was deluged with a sea of sorrow, which 
was supernatural both in its kind and in its 
intensity. 

With the prophecy of holy Simeon before 
his mind, Father Faber says, near the close 
of his work : The destiny of the Mother of 
God was a destiny of unutterable sorrow, 
exhausting at once the possibilities of woe 
and the capabilities of the creature. This 
might be expected, since it was by sorrow, 
shame and the Passion that the Incarnate 
Son of God came to save the world. The 
dolors of our Blessed Lady, therefore, are 


123 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

inseparable from her divine Maternity. Her 
first fifteen years commencing with the Im- 
maculate Conception, were a preparation 
for her dolors. Her last fifteen years, com- 
mencing with the descent of the Holy 
Grhost, were the maturity of her dolors. It 
was her dolors that rendered her capable of 
that new creation of grace in the descent of 
the Holy Grhost. His graces are absolutely 
inexhaustible: her capacities of grace are 
practically inexhaustible, to our limited com- 
prehension. He who would learn Mary 
must enter into her broken heart to do so. 
It is the “ dolorous Mother” who illuminates 
the Immaculate Conception on the one side, 
and the fair pomp of the Assumption on 
the other. 


Lord Jesus Christ, who from the cross 
didst recommend Thy Blessed Mother to 
the beloved disciple, and the disciple to 
Thy Mother; receive me, I beseech Thee, 
under Thy protection, and grant that 
amidst the snares and perils of this world, 
I may never lose the treasure of Thy friend- 
ship. Amen. 


XXXI. 


The Coming of the Holy Ghost. 

It is expedient for you that I go : for 
if I go not, the Paraclete will not come 
to you ; but if I go I will send Him to 
you. St. John 16, 7. 

In the last chapter of his Life of Our 
Lord Jesus Christ , St. Bonaventure, speak- 
ing of the coming of the Holy Ghost upon 
the Apostles after the ascension of our 
Lord, says: — 

Our Lord Jesus Christ being ascended in- 
to heaven, His blessed Mother, with the 
disciples, returned to Jerusalem, as the an- 
gels had told them, and with great joy and 
comfort remained there during the space of 
ten days in fervent prayer, expecting the 
coming of the Holy Ghost. 

When the tenth day was come after the 
ascension, our Lord Jesus Christ said to 
His Father: “ My beloved Father, the time 
of grace is near at hand, be mindful, I be- 
seech Thee, of the promise I made to My 
( 124 ) 


125 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

brethren, concerning the Holy Grhost.” To 
whom the Father said: “ My beloved Son, 
the promise you made is most grateful in 
My sight, and I am well pleased it should 
be performed ; and as the time is now come 
to fulfil it, let the Holy Grhost descend to 
replenish and fill them with grace, to com- 
fort and strengthen them, to instruct and 
teach them, and bestow on them abundance 
of all heavenly virtues.” The Holy Grhost 
descended on Whit Sunday, in the form of 
fiery tongues, upon a hundred and twenty 
disciples, who at that time were gathered 
together, and filled them with all grace and 
virtue; by which they were so greatly 
strengthened and inflamed, that they im- 
mediately went forth, and begun to preach 
the Grospel throughout the whole world, 
and in a great measure made it subject to 
their doctrine. 

This day is, then, the feast of love; for, 
as St. Gregory saith, it is the feast of Him 
who is love itself. For which reason he 
who truly desires to serve Giod, 'should en- 
deavor, in this holy solemnity, to be in- 
flamed with love, or at least to be enkindled 
with a vehement desire of being free from 
any mixture of the love of this world. For, 
as St. Bernard assures us, “he is greatly 
mistaken who thinks to unite heaven with 


126 


Come , Roly Ghost . 

earth, the sweet balm of spiritual comfort 
with the enjoyments of worldly vanities, or 
the beautiful gifts of the Holy Ghost with 
the deceitful flatteries of the flesh. ” 

Let us, therefore, devout reader, wholly 
forsake the fleeting vanities of this world, 
and purify our hearts from earthly and vain 
love of creatures, and lead a life of devotion 
and prayer, as the Apostles did, expecting 
the coming of the Holy Ghost. Thus may 
we hope to be visited by Him, as the Apost- 
les were, and to receive all spiritual comfort 
and grace for our souls. That we may, 
therefore, be able to receive the singular 
gift of this divine Spirit, and to attain to 
that bliss to which our Lord is ascended, to 
prepare the way for us to follow, let us 
break off all unnecessary engagements with 
this wretched world, and take no delight in 
the foul satisfactions of the flesh, nor feed 
its unlawful desires, but ever earnestly wish 
with the Apostles to be separated from it. 
So that, through the grace of the divine 
Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, we may faith- 
fully endeavor to follow the example of our 
Lord Jesus Christ in this world, and here- 
after to ascend with Him into the glorious 
city of the heavenly Jerusalem; where He, 
sovereign King, together with the Father 
and the Holy Ghost, one God, in perfect 


Come , Holy Ghost. 


127 


Trinity, liveth and reigneth for ever, world 
without end. Amen. 


0 Paraclete, whom Jesus sent to me, 

Who, one with Him, didst give Thyself to 
me, 

Thou Love of Glod most High, who lovest 
me, 

Thou King and Lord, who sweetly drawest 
me, 

For life and light and love I come to Thee. 



XXXII. 

The Birthday of the Church. 

And it shall come to pass in the last 
days, that the mountain of the house 
of the Lord shall be prepared on the 
top of mountains, and high above the 
hills ; and people shall flow to it. 

Michaeas 4, 1. 

Rev. Joseph Schuen, in his sermon on 
“The Birthday of the Catholic Church , ” 
found in the Repertoriiim Oratoris Sacri, 
tells his hearers: 

Jesus Christ is come to found on earth a 
kingdom of blessing and grace, the Holy 
Church. A child of His sacred Passion 
and Blood, she was destined to apply to the 
poor human family the fruits of Redemp- 
tion, and to be the lighthouse in the dark- 
ness of the world. We are now (the feast 
of Pentecost), celebrating the day of her 
foundation, or her birthday. For, on this 
day the Holy Grhost descended on the 
Apostles, and the first among them, St 
( 128 ) ■ 


129 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

Peter, delivered his first sermon, which 
produced an effect so marvelous that three 
thousand were converted. Thus did the 
Church make her first appearance in sight 
of the world. 

The Catholic Church is the most magnifi- 
cent institution ever established by the 
hand of Glod on earth. It is consequently 
to be expected that the day of its foun- 
dation should have been conspicuous by im- 
portant and significant signs. Holy Scrip- 
ture mentions: 

1. The Storm. “And suddenly there 
came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty 
wind coming.’ ’ When Grod gave His com- 
mandments on Mount Sinai, “thunders be- 
gan to be heard, and lightning to flash, and 
a very thick cloud to cover the mount.” 
At the foundation of the Church a mighty 
storm was heard. Who sees not here a 
figure of those storms which at all times 
will rage against the pillars of the Church, 
without shaking them? 

2. The fiery tongues. “And there ap- 
peared to them cloven tongues as it were of 
fire.” In flames of fire the Old Law was 
given. “And all mount Sinai was on a 
smoke, because the Lord was come down 
upon it in fire, and the smoke arose on it as 
out of a furnace; and all the mount was 


130 


Come , Roly Ghost . 

terrible.” The Church was to be founded 
in fire also. Celestial fire, the fire of the 
Holy Ghost, was poured down upon the 
Apostles to inflame them with the fire of 
divine charity, which was to be ever burn- 
ing in the Catholic Church through all ages 
on her altars, and in the hearts of, sincere 
Christians. 

3 . The gift of languages . 4 ‘ They began to 
speak with divers tongues, according as the 
Holy Ghost gave them to speak.” By this 
new miracle it is intimated that the Church 
was to spread among divers nations, to be- 
come the whole world’s Church, that is, the 
Catholic Church. 

4. The crowding together of the multitude. 
“Now, there were dwelling at Jerusalem, 
Jews, devout men, out of every nation. 
And when this voice was made, the multi- 
tude came together.” How the people 
hasten toward the apostolic house ! In all 
ages Christians “of good will” flock in 
crowds to the Church. 

5. The power of the Apostolic word. 
“Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted 
up his voice.” His apostolic word pro- 
duced marvelous effects. The word of God 
has always been in the Catholic Church “as 
a fire, and as hammer that breaketh the 
rock in pieces.” How great a consolation 


131 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

for us that the Church from her very be- 
ginning bears the stamp of divinity on her 
forehead, that she is sealed with the Holy 
Ghost, and “built upon the foundation of 
the Apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ 
Himself being the chief corner-stone. 
Thanks be to God for this benefit. 


O Almighty and everlasting God, who 
hast granted Thy servants, in the confes- 
sion of the true faith, to acknowledge the 
glory of an Eternal Trinity, and in the 
power of majesty to adore an Unity; we 
beseech Thee, that by the strength of this 
faith we may be defended from all adver- 
sity. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 



XXXIII. 

St. Gertrude Receives the Holy Ghost. 

O taste and see that the Lord is 
sweet : Blessed is the man that hopeth 
in Him. Ps. 33, 9. 

The reader will peruse with pleasure the 
following selections from The Life and Re- 
velations of St. Gertrude : — 

On the Sunday after Easter, as the Gos- 
pel was read which says that our Lord 
breathed on His disciples, and gave them 
the Holy Ghost, St. Gertrude besought 
Him very earnestly that He would give her 
this grace also. “If you desire to receive 
the Holy Ghost / 7 He replied, “you must 
touch My side and My hands, like My dis- 
ciples did . 77 By this she understood that 
he who desires to receive the Holy Spirit 
must first touch the side of our Lord, — 
that is, he must acknowledge how much 
the divine Heart has loved us in having 
predestined us from all eternity to be His 
children and heirs of His kingdom, and in 
( 132 ) 


133 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

pouring forth such benefits on us daily, not- 
withstanding our ingratitude ; that he must 
also touch the hands of our Lord, — that is, 
reflect with gratitude on all His labors for 
us during the three-and-thirty years of His 
mortal life, and in His Passion and Death, 
offering His heart to Hod, in union with the 
love with which He said, “As the Father 
has sent Me, I also send you,” to fulfil His 
good pleasure in all things. For, although 
men should desire and wish nothing but the 
good pleasure of God, they should seek 
even more ardently to do and to suffer what 
He wills, — for he who acts thus cannot fail 
to receive the Holy Spirit, even as the dis- 
ciples on whom the Son of God breathed. 

As the Feast of Pentecost was now ap- 
proaching, St. Gertrude besought our Lord, 
at communion on this day, to prepare her 
to receive these four virtues, — purity of 
heart, humility, tranquility and concord. 
As she prayed for purity, she perceived that 
her heart was whiter than snow; as she 
asked for humility, she saw our Lord pre- 
pare a cave in her soul to receive His 
graces ; when she asked for tranquility, she 
saw Him surround her heart with a golden 
circle, to preserve it from the snares of her 
enemies; then she said to Him: “Alas, my 
Lord, I fear that I shall soon ruin this ram- 


134 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

part of tranquility; for as soon as I see 
anything which I know to be contrary to 
Thy will, I cannot conceal my resentment, 
and oppose it vehemently. ” To this our 
Lord replied: “This emotion will not dis- 
turb a holy tranquility, but rather adorns 
it; strengthening in you, as it were, so 
many barriers across which the burning 
love of the Holy Ghost breathes more effi- 
caciously, and refreshes your soul more 
sweetly.” 

She then asked our Lord for the virtue 
of concord, and He crowned with this vir- 
tue all the other virtues which the Holy 
Spirit had imparted to her; but as she 
feared that if she suffered many contradic- 
tions on account of her zeal for regular ob- 
servance, they would prove an occasion of 
losing this precious grace, our Lord replied: 
“The virtue of concord is not injured when 
men oppose injustice ; and I Myself will re- 
strain your zeal, so that you may be entirely 
conformed in all things to the operations of 
My divine Spirit.” Then she understood 
that whoever prays devoutly to Giod for the 
same virtues, in order to prepare a dwelling 
for the Holy Spirit, and tries to advance in 
them every day by practising them faith- 
fully, will receive the same advantages. 

As St. Gertrude prayed very devoutly on 


135 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

the vigil of Pentecost, that she might be 
prepared to receive the Holy Ghost, she 
heard onr Lord saying: “You will receive 
the virtue of the Holy Spirit, which is com- 
ing to you.” But while she felt extreme 
joy and satisfaction at these words, she 
thought also of her utter unworthiness, and 
it appeared to her as if a cave was made in 
her heart, which became deeper and deeper 
as this sentiment of unworthiness in- 
creased in her soul. Then she saw a stream 
of honey coming forth from the Heart of 
Jesus, and distilling itself into hers, until it 
was entirelly filled. By this she understood 
that it was the unction and grace of the 
Holy Grhost which flowed thus sweetly from 
the heart of the Son of God into the hearts 
of the faithful. 

After she had communicated, she offered 
the whole life of Jesus Christ to God the 
Father, in satisfaction for her fault in never 
having made a sufficiently worthy prepara- 
tion to receive Him into her heart, even 
from the hour of her regeneration in bap- 
tism. Then she saw the Holy Ghost in the 
form of a dove, descending from heaven 
upon the adorable Sacrament, with an im- 
petuous flight, like that of an eagle; and 
seeking the sweet Heart of Jesus, He ap- 
peared to enter therein, and find there a 
most agreeable abode. 


136 


Come , Holy Ghost. 


0 Father of Mercies, have mercy on me, 
and give me strength from Thy strength, 
to resist all that is contrary to Thy will. 
G-ive me grace from Thy inconceivable wis- 
dom to avoid all that may offend Thy pure 
eyes, and enable me to adhere faithfully to 
Thee by Thy superabundant mercy, so that 
I may never depart from Thy will in the 
very least degree. Amen. 



XXXIV. 

The Same Continued. 

What have I in heaven ? and besides 
Thee what do I desire upon earth. . . . 
Thou art the God of my heart, and the 
God that is my portion forever. 

Ps. 72, 26. 

The j Revelations of our Saint continue: — 
On Pentecost Monday at the elevation, 
St. G-ertrude offered the Sacred Host in 
satisfaction for her deficiencies in acquiring 
spiritual goods, and even for extinguishing 
the light of the Holy Spirit. It appeared 
to her that this Sacred Host emitted a num- 
ber of branches, which were collected by 
the Holy Spirit and placed in the form of a 
hedge round the throne of the Ever-Blessed 
Trinity. From this she understood that 
the excellence and dignity of this Sacrament 
supplied fully for all her negligences. A 
voice also came forth from the throne, 
which said: “Let her who has given such 
rare flowers to her Spouse approach her 
divine nuptial couch without fear.” She 
( 137 ) 


138 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

understood by this that Giod considered her 
perfect in habits of virtue, in consideration 
of the oblation which she had made to Him 
of this most holy Sacrament. 

After this, as she approached the Holy 
Communion, the saints rose up before her 
with honor and joy, and she saw that the 
light of their merits shone gloriously, even 
as a shield of gold shines when exposed to 
the rays of the sun; and the reflection of 
this light shone into her soul. St. Grertrude 
then remained in the presence of Grod, as if 
in expectation, because she had not yet ob- 
tained the grace of being united to Him. 
At last, after Communion, her soul was 
united to this divine Spouse with such 
plenitude, that she enjoyed His presence in 
the most perfect manner possible in this 
world. Then the branches of which we 
have already spoken, with which the Holy 
Spirit had surrounded the throne of the Ever- 
Blessed Trinity, began to shoot forth green 
leaves and flowers, even as a plant flour- 
ishes after an abundant rain, so that the 
ever-peaceful Trinity found ineffable pleas- 
ure therein, and all the saints experienced 
new delights. 

On Tuesday in Whitsun-week St. Grer- 
trude offered the Host to G-od, in satisfac- 
tion and reparation for her deficiency in 


139 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

gratitude for the favor He had bestowed on 
her in uniting her more closely to Himself 
than others, and because she had not de- 
tached herself from everything else to attach 
herself entirely to Him. And as she did 
this with a perfect and full intention of suf- 
fering the penalty which she considered due 
to her negligence and weakness, our Lord, 
— who is full of goodness, and who esteems 
a good will even as an act, — appeared fully 
satisfied ; and the Holy Spirit, concentrat- 
ing all the virtues of this Most Holy Sacra- 
ment, entered with the Host into her soul at 
the moment of Communion ; and God then 
united Himself closely and inseparably to 
her. 


I give Thee thanks, 0 Holy Ghost, the 
Comforter, through the merit of Him who, 
by Thy co-operation, was made Man in the 
womb of a Virgin, that Thou hast charitably 
prevented me in all things with the gratu- 
itous benediction of Thy sweetness, though 
I am so unworthy ; and I am convinced that 
Thy ineffable charity alone could have be- 
stowed such benefits on me, in which 
resides, from which proceeds, and through 
which we receive every good. Amen. 


XXXY. 


Antagonism between the Spirit of God and 
the Spirit of the World. 

We have received not the spirit of 
this world, but the Spirit which is of 
God. 1. Cor. 2, 12. 

The Abbe Massillon, in his sermon on the 
Feast of Pentecost, addresses his hearers, 
among other things, in the following 
words: — 

The Spirit of God and the spirit of the 
world have ever been, and ever will be 
essentially at variance. Their empire may 
be said to be divided into two great cities, 
— Jerusalem and Babylon; the inhabitants 
of which have little or nothing in common 
between them, but differ in all their laws, 
manners, usages and customs. You who 
compose this assembly belong to one of the 
two: You are citizens either of Jerusalem 
or Babylon ; you are animated either by the 
Spirit of God or by the spirit of the world ; 
you are either heirs of the promises or chil- 
dren of wrath. It is impossible that you 
( 140 ) 


141 


Come, Holy Ghost . 

should belong to both at one and the same 
time; and it is equally impossibly that you 
should not belong to one or the other of 
them. 

We are invited by the Church on this day 
to look into the state of our souls, and to 
examine whether we live by the Spirit of 
God or by the spirit of the world. The first 
sure mark, or characteristic token of the 
Spirit of God abiding in the soul, is a love 
of recollection, prayer and retirement. The 
apostles were no sooner filled with the Holy 
Ghost, than they renounced all other oc- 
cupations in order to devote themselves en- 
tirely to the ministry of the gospel and 
prayer. Previous to this they had not been 
able to watch one hour with Jesus; they 
knew not how to pray; they had never 
asked of the Father anything in the name 
of their divine Master ; but after the Spirit 
had descended and taken possession of their 
hearts, they persevered in prayer; they 
frequented the temple at stated times of the 
day, and there they poured forth their souls 
in fervent supplication to the Lord. When 
persecuted by the Jews, prayer was their 
sweetest consolation. In a word, from be- 
ing carnal, dissipated, worldly men, averse 
to recollection and restraint, they at once 
became men of prayer. This is the first 


142 Come y Holy Ghost. 

change which is wrought by the descent of 
the Spirit of Giod. By His enlivening pre- 
sence He changes our interior into the 
sweetest paradise of delights. Thus, in the 
words of St. Paul, the Christian is an in- 
terior and spiritual man. His whole life is 
directed by the influence of the Holy Spirit 
which resides within him. His most or- 
dinary actions are sanctified by religion. 
This, my beloved, is the life of recollection 
and prayer, which testifies that the soul is 
animated by the Spirit of God. This is the 
interior and spiritual life which distin- 
guishes the lovers of J esus Christ from the 
lovers of the world. This is the essential 
characteristic of Christian piety. 

Now, my beloved, let me exhort you to 
judge yourselves according to these rules. 
Do you discover in your souls this first in- 
dubitable token of the Spirit of God? Is it 
by Him or by the spirit of the world that 
you are influenced and directed in your 
desires and inclinations, in your projects 
and hopes, in your joys and griefs, in your 
thoughts and actions? I do not ask whether 
the world has too much power over you at 
times; but I ask, whether it is the Spirit of 
God, or the spirit of the world, which may 
most properly be said to be the grand mov- 
ing and governing principle that is known 


Gome , Holy Ghost . 143 

to preside over the general system of your 
conduct? 

The soul that is enlivened by the presence 
of the Holy Spirit is delighted with solitude ; 
she courts retirement in order to enjoy the 
society of the God of consolation ; her only 
pleasure is to converse with Jesus in her in- 
terior ; she sedulously avoids every occupa- 
tion or amusement that distracts her 
thoughts and diverts her attention from 
Him. These are her pleasures, and these 
would be our pleasures likewise were we 
possessed by the Spirit of God. As long, 
therefore, as our thoughts are hurried away 
by restless desires, ambitious projects, and 
anxious solicitudes; as long as we are 
obliged to fly to company for amusement 
in order to dispel the gloom which solitude 
has created, so long must we conclude that 
our souls are deprived of the enlivening 
presence of God, and that the spirit by 
which we are animated is no other than the 
spirit of the world. 

But there are grounds to hope for better 
things. Enter seriously into the task of 
self-examination. Invoke the assistance of 
the Holy Ghost ; be instant in your suppli- 
cations to Him; and if you discover that 
you do not possess Him, give yourselves no 
rest until you are assured that He is de- 


144 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

scended into your souls, and by His en- 
livening presence has produced a perfect 
change in your affections and desires. By 
these means only will you expel the spirit 
of the world, and make yourselves accept- 
able to Him, who on this day descended to 
take possession of all hearts, and to make 
them His own forever. 


Glory be to the Holy Ghost for ever and 
ever. . 

Glory be to the Comforter for ever and 
ever. 

Glory be to the Spirit of Truth for ever 
and ever. 

Glory be to the Spirit of Grace for ever 
and ever. 

Glory be to the Spirit of Jesus for ever 
and ever. 

Glory be to the Spirit of the Father and 
of the Son for ever and ever. 

Glory be to the Third Person of the 
Blessed Trinity for ever and ever. Amen. 






K7f 




XXX YI. 

The Light of the Holy Spirit in the Christian 
Soul. 

While Peter was yet speaking these 
words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them 
that heard the word. Acts 10:44. 

Continuing the same subject m his sermon 
on Pentecost Monday, the eloquent Abbe 
says: 

I will now resume the thread of my dis- 
course, and describe the other characteristic 
marks of the Spirit of God abiding in- 
timately within us. 

In the first place, this pure ana divine 
Spirit is no sooner descended into the soul, 
than He draws back the veil which had 
hitherto concealed from inspection the ex- 
tent of her irregularities. The discovery of 
this secret and universal derangement of 
the faculties of the soul produces a two-fold 
effect on the mind of the repenting sinner. 
It inspires him with the resolution of reform- 
ing every abuse, by a constant, vigilant 
attention over all his actions ; and of satisfy- 
ing the justice of God for the past, by a 
course of mortification and penance. These 
(145) . 


146 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

are the effects which are produced by the 
presence of the Holy Spirit. The graces 
which He infuses cannot remain inactive; 
they stimulate the soul to exertion, and 
cause her to adopt the means which will the 
most speedily break the chains of her cap- 
tivity, and set her at perfect liberty. The 
Spirit breathes where He will, and the 
truths which He teaches are sure to capti- 
vate ; for the heart which He enlightens is 
ever open to conviction, being reformed, as 
the Apostle expresses it, in the newness of 
spirit. This is the pious ardor which the 
Spirit of Grod enkindles in the soul. The 
spirit of the world, on the contrary, is averse 
to mortification and restraint; it favors 
every irregular desire, and stands up in de- 
fence of vanity and pleasure. The man, 
therefore, who attends to the external duties 
of religion, and at the same time is unmor- 
tified in his affections, and a stranger to self- 
denial; who is intent only on pleasure, and 
refuses himself no gratification that is not 
evidently offensive to Grod ; who seeks ease 
and comfort on all occasions, and is solici- 
tous only to avoid criminal voluptuousness, 
who admits every alleviation which sloth 
and tepidity have introduced, and complies 
with the letter of the law, and no more; 
that man, I say, is a worldling, and the 
Spirit of Grod is not in him. 


147 


Come, Holy Ghost . 

Examine yourselves, my beloved, on these 
subjects. You, perhaps, are not guilty of 
any notorious transgressions; but that is 
not sufficient. Do you offer violence to self- 
love ? Do you labor to subdue the depravity 
of corrupt nature? Have you acquired, by 
the means of piety, a command over your 
worldly inclinations? Do you perform vol- 
untary acts of self-denial and penance? If 
it is not in your power to adduce acts of 
self-denial and mortification, voluntary suf- 
ferings, and sacrifices of your worldly affec- 
tion in proof of the descent of the Holy 
Spirit into your souls, you have too much 
reason to fear that you are as yet under the 
influence of the spirit of the world, and that 
God is far removed from you. 

The last characteristic mark of the Spirit 
of God is constancy and resolution. The 
Apostles, before the descent of the Holy 
Ghost, were weak and timid ; they trembled 
at the voice of a woman servant ; they fled 
at the death of Jesus; not one of them had 
courage to stand forward and speak in de- 
fence of the innocence and doctrine of their 
divine Master. But no sooner was the Spirit 
of God descended on them, than their 
former timidity was replaced by the most 
heroic fortitude. The same effect, although 
in a less sensible manner, is produced in the 


148 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

soul of every Christian by the presence of 
the Spirit of God. He is raised, as it were, 
above himself ; he is admitted to a participa- 
tion of the dignity and power of that Holy 
Spirit ; he is sealed with the divine characters 
of liberty and independence; he is placed, 
as it were, in the bosom of the Divinity, 
from whence, casting his eyes over the 
universe, he views without intimidation the 
oppressions and persecutions that are pre- 
pared for him, and he treats with contempt 
the united efforts of the world and the devil 
by which they endeavor to oppose the reign 
of God in his soul. Truly, my beloved, 
there is no character on earth so dignified, 
so noble, so magnanimous, as the man who 
is directed by the Spirit of God. This was 
the Spirit which animated the Apostles on 
the day of Pentecost. 

Now, the spirit of the world is a pliant, — 
a politic spirit. Being solely under the influ- 
ence of self-love, it seeks the truth only in 
as much as it is agreeable ; it espouses the 
cause of piety in the presence of those only 
who admire piety ; it glories in the practice 
of virtue on those occasions only when it 
redounds to its honor. This is the spirit of 
the world. And is it not with this spirit 
that we are animated! Are we not timid 
and reserved, when we ought to appear 


149 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

openly in tlie cause of God and religion? 
Do we not shrink when duty obliges us to 
expose ourselves to censures and derisions 
for His glory, and do we not dignify our 
cowardice by the name of prudence f In 
order not to appear at variance with the 
world, do we not appear worldly, do we not 
speak its language, applaud its maxims, 
follow its customs, and, on some occasions, 
participate in its crimes? This at least is 
certain, that we are not directed by the 
Spirit of God ; for the Spirit of God is free 
and independent ; it does not fear the world, 
because it despises it; it does not seek to 
please the world, because it is crucified to 
it ; it does not seek the approbation of the 
world, because it condemns its maxims ; it 
is not seduced by the allurements and ex- 
ample of the world, because it has conquered 
it. Timidity, therefore, is totally opposite 
to the Spirit of God ; and no greater proof 
could we give that we are animated by the 
spirit of the world, than when we fear the 
world more than God, when we endeavor to 
please the world at the expense of religion, 
and when we sacrifice duty rather than be 
wanting in respect and attention to creat- 
ures. 

Great God, infuse into our hearts, we be- 
seech Thee, that triple Spirit of recollec- 


150 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

tion, self-denial and constancy, which Thou 
didst infuse into the hearts of Thy disciples 
on the day of Pentecost ; and expel forever 
from our breasts the spirit of the world, 
which has hitherto occupied the throne in 
our soul which was made for Thee alone. 
Come, O Holy Spirit, into our hearts; take 
the place of this miserable world, which we 
abhor, but which we have not as yet had the 
courage to renounce ; and after Thou hast 
established here below Thy abode in us, 
may we hereafter become the eternal temples 
of Thy glory and truth. 


Help me, 0 Holy Ghost, to make myself 
ready for the judgment of the Son of Man. 
I am full of darkness and full of sin, but I 
have a great longing to be better than I am. 
Through my own faithlessness I am often 
overcome by temptation. Thou art my 
strength against the tempter. Without Thee 
I can do nothing; but with Thy help I can 
keep from sin, and grow in grace and enter 
into life. O ever-living Spirit, dear and 
precious, make me more and more a child 
of light, that I may walk in that light and 
inherit the promises. Keep ever before my 
eyes the judgment to which I must one day 
come. Amen. 


XXXVII. 

The Holy Ghost and the Lord’s Prayer. 

Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou 
art My God. Thy good Spirit shall 
lead me. Ps. 142, 10. 

St. Thomas Aquinas, the “Angel of the 
Schools,” in his brief commentary on the 
“Lord’s Prayer,” has the following, in 
Little Books of the Holy Ghost. No. 3. By 
Father Rawes, D.D. : 

Thy will he done on earth as it is in heaven. 
The third gift which the Holy Ghost works 
in us is called the gift of Knowledge. The 
Holy Grhost not only gives to the good the 
gift of Fear and the gift of Piety, which is 
a sweetness of affection for God, but he also 
makes them wise. David sought for this 
gift when he said: “Teach me goodness 
and discipline and knowledge, for I have 
believed Thy commandments.” This 
knowledge, taught by the Holy Ghost, is 
the gift by which a man lives rightly. But 
among those things which tend to give a 
man knowledge and wisdom, the first is the 
wisdom by which any one is kept from 
(151) 


152 Come , Holy Ghost . 

trusting his own judgment. “Have con- 
fidence in the Lord with all thy heart, and 
learn not thy own prudence.” (Prov. 3, 5.) 
They who presumptuously trust their own 
judgment, so as to regard themselves and 
no one else, are always found and judged 
to befools. “Hast thou seen a man wise 
in his own conceit? There shall be more 
hope for a fool than for him.” (Prov. 26, 
12.) Now, distrust of ourselves comes from 
humility ; and the abode of humility is wis- 
dom. “Where pride is, there also shall be 
reproach ; and where humility is, there also 
is wisdom.” (Prov. 11,2.) On the other 
hand, the proud have great confidence in 
themselves. The Holy Ghost, therefore, 
teaches us by the gift of Science not to do 
our own will, but the will of God. By this 
gift, then, we pray to God that his will may 
be done on earth as it is in heaven ; and in 
this clearly is seen the gift of Knowledge. 

Coming to the next petition of the Lord’s 
Prayer, the saint continues: 

Give us this day our daily bread. It very 
often happens that a man is made fearful 
by great knowledge and wisdom, and, there- 
fore, such a one needs strength of heart 
that he may not fail in the day of neces- 
sity. “It is He that giveth strength to the 
weary; and increaseth force and might to 


153 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

them that are not.” (Isaias 40, 29.) He 
who gives this fortitude is the Holy Ghost. 
“The Spirit entered into me after that He 
spoke to me ; and He set me upon my feet.” 
(Ezech. 2, 2.) Now, this Fortitude which 
is the gift of the Holy Ghost, is given in 
order that the heart of man may not faint 
through fear about those things which he 
needs, but may believe firmly that all helps 
necessary for him will be given to him by 
God. The Holy Ghost, therefore, who 
gives us fortitude, teaches us to pray to 
God, saying, “Give us this day our daily 
bread.” For this reason He is called the 
Spirit of fortitude. 

Bear in mind that spiritual blessings are 
asked for in the three petitions of which we 
have already spoken. These blessings are 
begun in this life, but are only perfected in 
the eternal world. 1. When we pray that 
God’s name may be hallowed, we pray that 
God’s holiness may be known. 2. When 
we pray that God’s kingdom may come, we 
pray that we may be partakers of ever- 
lasting life. 3. When we pray that God’s 
will may be done, we pray that His will may, 
be perfected in us. Though all these bless- 
ings are begun in this world, they can only 
be possessed perfectly in the life of heaven. 
We, therefore, need to pray for certain 


154 


Come , Holy Ghost. 


necessary gifts which may be perfectly pos- 
sessed in this present life. That is why the 
Holy Ghost has taught us to pray for needed 
helps of this life which can be possessed 
perfectly. He does it also to show that 
even temporal goods come to us from the 
providence of God. All these things are in 
the petition, “Give us this day our daily 
bread. ” 


0 Holy Ghost, Spirit of God, strengthen 
in me the gift of fortitude ; perfect in me 
the beatitude of the hunger and thirst of 
the soul ; and help me to pray according to. 
Thy will. Amen. 



XXXVIII. 

The Same, Continued. 

And they stoned Stephen, invoking, 
and saying: Lord Jesus receive my 
spirit. And falling on his knees, he 
cried with a loud voice, saying : Lord, 
lay not this sin to their charge. 

Acts 7. 58, 59. 

In the petition of the Lord’s Prayer, 
“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us, St. Thomas 
teaches us that : 

There are some men of great wisdom and 
great fortitude who trust too much in their 
own strength, and so in their deeds do not 
act wisely nor attain their desired end. 
“Designs,” says the Wise Man, “are 
strengthened by counsels.” 

You must bear in mind that the Holy 
Grhost, the giver of fortitude, is also the 
giver of counsel. Indeed every good coun- 
sel about the salvation of men comes from 
the Holy Grhost. Now, a man needs this 
kind of counsel when he is in tribulation, 
( 155 ) 


156 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

just as he needs the counsel or advise of 
physicians when he is ill. If, then, any one 
be spiritually weak by sin, he ought to pray 
for counsel that he may be healed. It is 
shown in Daniel that counsel is necessary 
to a sinner. He says (4, 24): “0 king, let 
my counsel be acceptable to thee ; and re- 
deem thy sins with alms and thy iniquities 
with works of mercy to the poor ; perhaps 
He will forgive thy offences.” The best 
counsel, then, against sin is almsgiving and 
mercy, and, therefore, the Holy Ghost 
teaches sinners to pray and say, “Forgive 
us our debts.” 

We are debtors to God for that which we 
take from His rights. But it is God’s right 
that we should do His will by choosing that 
will before our own. We rob God of His 
rights, therefore, when we prefer our will to 
His will, and the doing of that is a sin. 
Thus you see that our sins are our debts. 
For this reason the Holy Ghost gives us 
counsel, in order that we may ask for- 
giveness of our sins from God. Therefore 
we say, “Forgive us our Debts.” 

It should be known that we can learn two 
lessons from this petition, both of them 
necessary for men in this mortal life : 

1. To live in fear and humility. We should 
always live in humility and fear. There 


157 


Come , Roly Ghost. 

have been persons so presumptuous as to 
say that man can live in this world in such 
a way as to avoid sins on his own strength. 
To avoid all sin, however, has been given 
to no one but Christ, who had the Spirit 
without measure ; and to the Blessed Virgin, 
who was full of grace, and in whom there 
was no fault. To no saint has it been 
granted to avoid, at least, some venial sin. 
St. John says; “If we say we have no sin 
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not 
in us.” 

2. To live in hope. We ought always to 
live in hope ; for, though we are sinners, 
we must not despair, lest despair should 
lead us to diverse and greater evils, as St. 
Paul says: “Who despairing have given 
themselves up to laciviousness, unto the 
working of all uncleanness.” It is, there- 
fore, very profitable to us to hope always, 
for, however great our sins may be, we 
ought to hope that G-od will forgive us if 
we be truly contrite and converted to Him. 
This hope is strengthened in us when we 
say, “Forgive us our debts.” 


Devoutly recite the Lord’s Player. 


XXXIX. 

Holy Ghost, Come Down upon Thy Children. 

You shall be baptized with the Holy 
Ghost. Acts 1, 5. 

The following hymn is from the prolific 
pen of Father Faber : — 

Holy Ghost, come down upon Thy children, 
Give us grace, and make us Thine *, 

Thy tender fires within us kindle, 

Blessed Spirit, Dove Divine. 

1 . 

For all within us good and holy 
Is from Thee, Thy precious gift ; 

In all our joys, in all our sorrows, 

Wistful hearts to Thee we lift. 

Holy Ghost, come down upon Thy children, 

( as above.) 

2 . 

For Thou to us art more than father, 

More than sister, in Thy love, 

So gentle, patient, and forbearing 
Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove. 

Holy Ghost, come down, etc . 

( 158 ) 


159 


Gome , Holy Ghost. 

3 . 

0 we have grieved Thee, gracious Spirit, 
Wayward, wanton, cold are we; 

And still our sins, new every morning, 
Never yet have wearied Thee. 

Holy Grhost, come down, etc . 


4 . 

Dear Paraclete, how hast Thou waited, 
While our hearts were slowly turned. 
How often hath Thy love been slighted, 
While for us it grieved and burned. 
Holy Grhost, come down, etc. 


5 . 

Now, if our hearts do not deceive us, 

We would take Thee for our Lord, 
Dearest Spirit, make us faithful 
To Thy least and lightest word. 

Holy Grhost, come down, etc . 

6 . 

Ah, sweet Consoler, though we cannot 
Love Thee as Thou lovest us, 

Yet, if Thou deign’st our hearts to kindle, 
They will not be always thus. 

Holy Grhost, come down, etc. 


160 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

7. 

With hearts so vile how dare we venture, 
Holy Grhost to love Thee so? 

And how canst Thou, with such compassion, 
Bear so long with things so low? 

Holy Grhost, come down, etc . 


0 Spirit of my Lord, who lightest me, 
Thou, who didst come at Pentecost for me, 
Thou love, who seekest thirstingly for me, 
Burn up all evil and all death in me, 

And make my heart a holiness to Thee. 


XL. 

T&s Holy Ghost and the World. 

The Spirit breatheth where He will ; 
and thou hearest His voice ; but thou 
knowest not whence He cometh or 
whither He goeth ; So is every one that 
is born of the Spirit. St. John 3, 8. 

In an article on “ Religious Freedom/ ? 
published in July, 1864, Dr. 0. A. Brown- 
son writes: 

All Christendom repeats daily, “I believe 
in the Holy Catholic Church ; and the word 
catholic is not technical naming a particular 
church, sect or congregation, but an ad- 
jective applied to express the quality, nature 
and character of the Church herself. Christi- 
anity itself is catholic , and hence St. Vincent 
of Lerins gives us as the criterion or mark 
of Christian faith, the fact that it has been 
believed always, everywhere, and by all. 
Men can agree only in what is true. 

The trouble now is, that the profound 
significance of 'the word catholic is un- 
heeded, — that the word is taken in a tech- 
nical sense, and made the rallying-cry of 
division instead of unity. This is because 
not all who are called Catholics are really 
Catholics ; for many of them restrict catho- 
(161) 


162 Come , Holy Ghost. 

licity to their own external communion, and 
recognize no catholic truth outside of it, 
and consider it their duty to condemn the 
world outside as wrong, to convict it of 
error, instead of recognizing the truth it 
really has, and seeking to enlighten it and 
to supply its defects, by presenting the 
truth in its unity and integrity, or the truth 
it has not in dialectic union with the truth 
it has. These people seem to think, be- 
cause the Holy Ghost dwells in the Church 
into which they have been incorporated, 
that His operations are confined to them. 
They fail to note that, though the Holy 
Grhost speaks to men in the written word, 
and in the external authority of the Church, 
when teaching or defining faith, He speaks 
to them also through reason and conscience, 
common to all men. Peter marvelled, no 
doubt, when he found the Holy Ghost was 
given to the gentiles as well as to the Jews; 
but when he saw His manifest operations, 
witnessed the effects of His presence, he 
recognized them for what they really were, 
and in the joy of his heart exclaimed, “Who 
can forbid water that these be baptized?” 
The Holy Ghost is God ; God the Consum- 
mator; and His presence is, therefore, uni- 
versal, as universal as that of God the 
Creator, or God the Mediator. He is in the 
new phase assumed by civilization, no less 


163 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

than He was in the old, and, rightly under- 
stood, the new developments, which frighten 
so many of our friends, and make them 
think the world is about to end, are only 
steps forward in the work of consummation. 
The feebleness of character so marked in 
our modern conservatives, whether in 
Church or State, is owing to the fact that 
they do really, without knowing or intend- 
ing it, resist the Holy Ghost, and force Him 
to work against them, not with them. 
The living, beating, aspiring heart of 
Christendom is not with them, is against 
them, and is on the side of the men 
who represent the progressive spirit of the 
age. Only the voice of these, the radicals, 
as they are called, fetch an echo ; and, even 
when not free from many said errors, their 
voices stir the souls of men, and kindle in 
them noble aspirations, and fire them with 
heroic daring. 

Send, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, 
Thy Holy Spirit into our hearts, that He may 
rule and direct us in all our temptations and 
afflictions, defend us from all error, and 
lead us into all truth ; that we being stead- 
fast in the faith, may increase in love and 
in all good works, and in the end obtain 
everlasting life: through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Amen. 


XLI. 

The Holy Ghost the Source of Hiraculous 
Power. 

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, 
wherefore He hath anointed Me, to 
preach the Gospel to the poor He hath 
sent Me, to heal the contrite of heart. 

St. Luke 4, 18. 

St. Bernard “the last of the Fathers,” 
speaking of the healing of the man sick of 
the palsy whom our Lord cured and com- 
manded to take up his bed and go into his 
house, remarks, as quoted by St. Bonaven- 
ture in his Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ: 

Happy the man who directs the sufferings 
and passions with a view of justice so as to 
bear all the sufferings for the Son of Grod, 
without complaining at heart, but with 
praise and thanksgiving. He who carries 
himself thus, properly takes up his bed and 
walks. Our bed is our body, in which be- 
fore we were languishing, subservient to 
our unruly desires and lawless appetites. 
We, then, take up this bed when we compel 
( 164 ) 


165 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

it to obey tbe Spirit. The Spirit is truly 
wonderful which inspires, so many different 
ways, the children of men in such a man- 
ner, that no one can abscond, or screen 
himself from its heat. In so much that it 
is given them for their use, for miracles, for 
salvation, for help, for comfort, and for 
fervor in devotion. For the use of life it is 
given to the good and bad ; and yields alike 
to the worthy and the unworthy abundance 
of advantages, without any limits prefixed 
to it ; and therefore he would be highly un- 
grateful who should deny or not acknow- 
ledge these benefits of the Spirit. It is 
given for miracles in the many signs, pro- 
digies and wondrous virtues it operates by 
the hands of some. It was the Spirit 
operated so many marvelous works in anti- 
quity, and which confirms our faith in old 
miracles by the daily new ones it manifests 
to us. But as the gift of miracles is not 
always useful to the operator of them, there- 
fore the Spirit is likewise given to salvation , 
as when, with all our heart we turn to the 
Lord our God. It is given for help when, 
in the midst of our struggles with trials or 
trouble, it assists our weakness. And, 
when the Spirit gives testimony to our spirit 
that we are the children of God, that in- 
spiration is given us for our comfort. 


166 


Come , Holy Ghost. 


Finally, the Spirit is given for fervor, when, 
breathing strongly into the hearts of the 
perfect, it kindles a powerful flame of divine 
charity, by the means of which, in the hope 
of the children of Grod, we glory in tribu- 
lations, deem scandal an honor to us, re- 
joice in the injuries done us, and are trans- 
ported with pleasure when loaded with 
contempt. To all of us, then, the Spirit is 
given for salvation, but not alike for fervor. 
There are but few replenished with this 
Spirit ; but very few who covet and pursue 
it. We are content with our own narrow- 
ness ; and neither labor to breathe the breath 
of liberty, nor even so much as to aspire 
to it. 


0 Holy Ghost, Spirit of the Living God, 
strengthen in me Thy Grift of Counsel; per- 
fect in me the beatitude of the merciful; 
and help me to pray according to Thy will. 
Amen. 



XLII. 

The Holy Spirit the Author of all Charitable 
Work. 

God is able to make all grace abound 
in you, .... that you may abound in 
every good work. II. Cor. 8. 

Monsignor Graume in his admirable work 
The Catechism of Perseverance, speaking of 
the military and charitable Orders of the 
Middle Ages, says in part: 

The Church, whose maternal solicitude 
was arming knights to defend her children 
against infidels, and encouraging the re- 
ligious of the Trinity, — the Order of the 
Most Holy Trinity for the Redemption of 
Captives, — did not forget those who were 
suffering in the interior of the fold. In 
the course of the twelfth century, we shall 
see rising up, as if by enchantment, numer- 
ous hospitals for the relief of the different 
miseries of man, teaching him that he is no 
longer under the shameful slavery of Pa- 
ganism, but under the sweet law of Charity. 

Among the Hospital Orders that then 
appeared, we shall name that of the Holy 
( 167 ) 


168 Come, Holy Ghost 

Grhost. G-uy, Lord of Montpellier, was its 
founder. It soon spread, and Innocent III. 
built a hospital in Rome, the care of which 
he confided to the religious of the new 
Order. This monument, worthy of Rome, 
worthy of the Vicar of Jesus Christ, worthy 
of the majesty and charity of the Catholic 
Church, deserves to be known. It consists 
of several groups of houses, and a hall large 
enough to hold a thousand beds. There is, 
besides, a spacious transverse hall, in which 
the wounded or hurt are placed. Priests 
and nobles have private rooms ; there are 
four beds in each ; the sick are here served 
in silver vessels. Heretics and such as have 
contagious diseases occupy separate apart- 
ments. 

In another portion of the hospital are a 
great many nurses for children, although 
there are more then two thousand others 
in the city and neighborhood to whom they 
are given out to be nursed. Near this is 
the department for boys. They are placed 
here at the age of three or four years, after 
being withdrawn from the nurses. They 
always number five hundred. Here they 
remain till they are old enough to earn a 
livelihood. Grirls, to a like number, are 
brought up in another department, till they 
are of an age to marry or become nuns. 


169 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

They are under the management of the 
Sisters of the Holy Ghost, whose convent is 
also enclosed within the grounds of the 
hospital. When they marry, the hospital 
gave them at first a dowry of fifty Roman 
crowns, which has since been raised to one 
hundred, — about one hundred dollars of 
our money. 

The spiritual care corresponds to the 
temporal. Besides the chaplains of the 
establishment, the religious Orders of Rome 
depute two of their members every week to 
hear the confessions of the sick. Pious lay 
people make it a duty to go and render 
to them during life and after death the 
humblest services of charity. 

Near the hospital is the palace of the 
commander or chief of the Order of the 
Holy Ghost. Between the palace and the 
hospital is a large cloister, where the phy- 
sicians, surgeons, and servants of the estab- 
lishment, who always exceed a hundred in 
number, reside. Near this is the department 
of the religious. Admirable forethought of 
Christian charity. (This is a picture of 
charity when Rome was ruled by the Popes ; 
what it is under the sway of the Robber 
Kings, I am not able to say. ) 

You see, and you ought to be proud of it, 
that religion everywhere exceeds philo- 


170 


Come, Holy Ghost . 

sophy: nothing escapes her far-seeing care. 
Not only did she engage herself in the 
twelfth century with rearing abandoned 
children and attending the sick, but she 
provided for many other wants. Already 
she had placed her tent on the summit of 
the Alps, where the religious of St. Bernard 
became the protectors and guides of travel- 
lers. In her divine hands, evil itself turned 
to good, and the most dreadful accidents 
gave rise to establishments of general ad- 
vantage. 


Oh, how true it is, My G-od, that Thou 
hast not ceased to do good to men. O holy 
Religion ; O tender Mother, it is then true 
that thou watchest, not merely over the 
souls, but also over the bodies, of thy 
children: None of their wants escape thy 
care. Amen. 



XLIII. 

The Holy Ghost, the Paraclete. 

The Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, 
whom the Father will send in my 
name, He will teach you all things, 
and bring all things to your mind, 
whatsoever I shall have said to you. 

St. John 14, 26. 

Jesus calls the Third Person of the Blessed 
Trinity the Holy Ghost , for two reasons, 
says Rev. John E. Zollner, in his Pulpit 
Orator for Seven years; namely, on account 
of His source, and of His external operation. 
Sanctity consists in the love of Grod. But 
the Third Person of the Deity, having His 
source in the mutual love of the Father and 
the Son, and, consequently, being the es- 
sential reciprocal love of the Father and the 
Son, we justly call Him Holy , and say, 
Holy Grhost, although the other two per- 
sons are also as holy. But we call Him so, 
because His operation has the santification 
of man particularly for its object. It is the 
Holy Grhost that by His graces prepares us 
( 171 ) 


172 


Come , Roly Ghost. 

for sanctification, and in the sacraments 
really sanctifies us. Hence the Apostle also 
says: “You are washed, you are sanctified, 
you are justified in the name of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.” 
— I. Cor. 6, 11. 

The Paraclete . The Holy Ghost has this 
name on account of His blessed effects in 
the hearts of men, enlightening, justifying, 
and making them heirs of heaven. Can 
there be anything more consoling than to 
know God and His holy will, and to be al- 
lowed to say : I possess sanctifying grace ; I 
am a child of God, and I have the well- 
grounded hope of being one day an heir of 
heaven? Truly this is a comfort which the 
world, with all its joys and pleasures, can- 
not give, — a comfort which replenishes us 
with courage and holy joy. 

Whom the Father will send in My name. 
In these words Christ expresses the mystery 
of the Most Holy Trinity. He speaks of 
the Father, who sends ; He speaks of Him- 
self, in whose name God the Father sends ; 
and He speaks of the Holy Ghost, who 
is sent. Christ by saying: “Whom the 
Father will send in My name,” means as 
much as: “God the Father will send the 
Holy Ghost, that He may supply my place.” 
Our Lord ascended into heaven after the 


173 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

accomplishment of the work of redemption ; 
in His place the Holy Ghost was to descend 
upon earth and to make His permanent 
abode in the Church of Christ, in order to 
purify and sanctify all men of all times. 
“In My name,” may also be understood: 
“In virtue of My merits.” God the Father 
sends the Holy Ghost only on account of the 
merits of Christ. If Christ had not died 
for us on the cross, the Holy Ghost would 
not have come to us ; He has been sent to 
us only for the purpose of applying to us 
the fruits of redemption. All the graces, 
therefore, which we receive from the Holy 
Ghost we owe to the merits of Jesus Christ. 
Let us not forget this, but be thankful for 
it to our Lord J esus Christ, by adhering to 
Him faithfully. 

The words: “He will teach you all things, 
and bring all things to your mind, whatso- 
ever I shall have said,” have this meaning: 
The Holy Ghost will cause the apostles per- 
fectly to understand all those things which 
Christ had said to them, but which, up to 
that time, had remained to them in a 
measure unintelligible and obscure; that 
they will now remember all those things 
which they had forgotten. This was actu- 
ally the case. After the Holy Ghost had 
come upon the apostles, the scales fell from 


174 Come , Holy Ghost . 

their eyes, and all that Christ had spoken 
to them became perfectly clear to them; 
the Holy Ghost instructed them in such 
a manner that in matters of religion they 
confounded the learned of this world; He 
inspired them with what they should teach, 
write, and speak before the tribunals. Sup- 
ported by His uninterrupted guidance, they 
possessed the gift of infallibility, so that in 
matters of faith and morals they could not 
err. 

The same teacher of truth as the Holy 
Ghost was to the apostles, so is He to the 
Catholic Church at all times. Continuing 
even to the end of the world, enlightened 
and governed by Him, the Church, can 
teach nothing but the truth ; in all that she 
proposes to be believed she is as infallible as 
the Holy Ghost, for the simple reason that 
the Holy Ghost speaks by her mouth ; and 
whatever she teaches, is the word of God in 
the strictest sense. For this reason St. Paul 
calls the Church “the pillar and ground of 
the truth”; and St. Augustine says:- “I 
would not believe even the gospel, if the 
authority of the Church did not induce me.” 
O how peacefully can we live and die in the 
bosom of the Catholic Church, where we 
have the fullest guarantee that whatever 
she teaches and ordains is the pure, genuine, 


175 


Come, Holy Ghost. 


unadulterated word of God. Let us, there- 
fore, show our gratitude to God for this 
great grace by obeying the Church and 
making frequent use of her means of grace. 


Spirit of Piety, implant in my heart a 
filial love and affection toward God, my 
heavenly Father, and a brotherly charity 
toward all men, so that I may truly delight 
in the service of God and of my fellow-men. 
Amen. 





XLIV. 

The Holy Ghost in The Church. 

The Holy Ghost, whom the Father 
will send in My name, He will teach 
yon all things. St. John 14, 26. 

It need not be wondered at that a con- 
siderable number of the selections of this 
volume have reference to the feast of Pen- 
tecost. It is by excellence the feast of the 
Holy Spirit, and not only the beginning of 
His divine operations in the Church and in 
its members, but also the point to which all 
the other feasts are in some way to be re- 
ferred. The following selections from the 
Five Minute Sermons of the Paulist Fathers, 
(Yol. II.) will be found both edifying and 
instructive : 

On the day (of Pentecost) which we now 
commemorate, the Holy G-host came down, 
as you know, on the little company of 
Christians assembled in the upper room at 
Jerusalem, to prepare them for the great 
combat in which they were about to engage 
( 176 ) 


177 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

against the devil for the conquest of the 
world. He came down upon them to make 
them the Church of God. The Holy Ghost 
is the life of the Church ; it is His presence 
which distinguishes her from the human in- 
stitutions which have appeared in the world 
with her and have one by one passed away. 
It is His abiding with her which makes her 
life perpetual, ever the same and ever new. 

But how is the Holy Ghost in the Church? 
How is it that He is her life, and that He 
keeps now, as of old, in the one true body, 
which all who will but clear the mists of 
prejudice from before their eyes, can see is 
the one which Christ promised to form, and 
to which all His promises were made? 

In the first place, the Holy Ghost is in 
the Catholic Church by the gift bestowed 
on the successors of the Apostles in the 
Apostolic See, of injalibility in teaching 
the faith. In this way the truth is sure to 
be kept in the world ; it cannot fail to be 
taught, while the Vicar of Christ remains 
to teach it. But it is not only in the Holy 
See that the Spirit of God abides. The 
bishops throughout the world also teach the 
faith by his help and guidance; and this 
help is also given to the clergy who assist 
them. Nor does the work of the Holy 
Ghost stop here ; He is also with the body 


178 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

of the faithful, enabling them also to re- 
cognize the truth, when they hear it, and to 
distinguish it from error, “you have the 
unction of the Holy One, and know all 
things,” says St. John. Yet, the Holy 
Ghost is throughout the Church ; He is her 
life, and is not only in her head, but also 
in her members. Were He not in the mem- 
bers, though the Pope should indeed remain 
to teach the truth, the faithful would not re- 
main faithful or attentive to the truth which 
he would teach. 

What a blessing, then, is the light of the 
Holy Ghost, which is given in its measure 
to each one of us ; which keeps us in the 
one fold, and which makes us, out of many, 
one body in Christ ; which brings His words 
always to our minds, and which preserves 
us from the ever-changing doubt and con- 
fusion, which is the lot of those who are 
separated from the one true Church in which 
He dwells. Let us, then, preserve this un- 
speakable gift ; let us not quench the Spirit 
of God within us, And how is it quenched? 
How do we lose the light of faith which He 
gives? 

By sin, and never except by sin. Though 
instruction be good and salutary, it is not 
the simple and unlearned who lose the faith, 
but such as give ear to their passions, 


179 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

especially those of pride and impurity. All 
the heresies which have torn multitudes 
from the Church of Christ have had their 
roots not so much in ignorance as in sin. 
Keep yourselves free from it; this is the 
only way to keep yourselves in the light of 
God. 


0 my God, who art all love, I thank Thee 
for having chosen the Apostles to announce 
Thy Gospel, not only to the Jews but also 
to the Gentiles. Grant me the grace to re- 
ceive Thy holy word with the same docility 
as the faithful of Jerusalem. Amen. 



XLV. 

The Holy Ghost in the Councils of the Church. 

Behold I am with you all days, even 
to the consummation of the world. 

St. Matt. 18, 20. 

The Most Rev. Archbishop Ryan of Phi- 
ladelphia, in the sermon which he preached 
before the Fathers of the Third Plenary 
Council of Baltimore, said, among other 
things : 

It is not without emotion and embarrass- 
ment that I presume to address you on the 
occasion of the opening of this great council. 
It is difficult to rise to an adequate concep- 
tion of the importance and the majesty of 
this scene. I behold you as pillars sup- 
porting and adorning the great temple of 
God. I behold you assembled with a power 
direct from God, not deputed, but ordinary, 
for the Holy Ghost Himself has placed you 
“bishops to rule the Church of God.” 

And reviewing the career of the Church 
through the centuries since its establish- 
ment, — the grand field of the operations of 
( 180 ) 


Come , Holy Ghost. 181 

the Holy Ghost, — the distinguished prelate 
continues : 

Such is the Church as Christ prophesied 
it should be. Where is it to-day, for it 
lives with the communicated vitality of God 
the Holy Ghost, who abides in it? Where is 
it to-day? Look around and see it repre- 
sented in part in this great council. How 
glorious it is, how real, how living. Alive 
with the life of God and strong with the 
strength of God, and beautiful with the 
beauty of God. To-day it may be said in 
the words of the Scriptures: “Thou art ex- 
ceedingly beautiful, because of My beauty, 
which I have put upon thee.” 

The mission of the Church is not only to 
testify to facts, but also to sanctify the in- 
dividual and society. She acts in the world 
through her sovereign head, the Pope, 
through her bishops in their several dio- 
ceses, and through her councils. Now, the 
Church in these councils acts for the benefit 
of society in three different ways: First, in- 
directly, by preserving the purity and cer- 
tainty of great truths, which give certain 
motive to morality; secondly, by the re- 
formation of morals amongst her children ; 
and thirdly, by her solicitude for the poor 
and suffering members of society. The 
purity of faith she preserves especially by 


182 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

her Ecuminical Councils. The decisions of 
such councils she regards as unerring. 

Secondly, she discharges her mission to 
society by the reformation of abuses 
amongst the clergy and laity, and this she 
does in both general and plenary, provincial 
and diocesan councils. If she does not al- 
ways succeed in such reformation, we must 
remember that the influences of the Church, 
though necessary, are not necessitating. 
She no more than her Spouse can paralyse 
that tremendous power — free will. 

A third mode by which she discharges 
her mission to society is by the amelioration 
of the condition of the poor and suffering 
of our race, and in this great work also she 
act in her councils and in imitation of her 
Founder. 

To sum up what I have said: Because 
society in our day needs regeneration, and 
morality needs a firmer basis than mere 
natural honor and integrity, which so easily 
yield to strong temptation; because Christ 
is the great regenerator and the name of 
Jesus the only one under heaven by which 
society, like the individual, can be saved; 
because the institution called the Church is 
inseparable connected with Christ, in being 
in truth Himself continued; because she has 
in her councils ever sustained morality by 


183 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

increasing faith in the dogmas that give it 
life and motive; therefore, let' bishops, 
priests and people ask of God in profound 
supplication that the sacrifice of the Mass 
just offered may be borne by the hands of 
His holy angel to His sublime altar in the 
heavens and in sight of His divine Majesty, 
that the partakers of it may be filled with 
every grace and celestial benediction, and 
that the Holy Spirit in whose honor it has 
been offered may come down and fill the 
hearts of the faithful, enkindle in them the 
fire of His love, and thus renew the face of 
the earth. 


Bless us, 0 divine Jesus, with Thy most 
precious benedictions, that Thy Holy Spirit 
may direct, animate and sanctify our whole 
lives. Amen. 


XLYI. 

The Dove, the Cloud and the Fiery Tongues. 

And there appeared to them parted 
tongues as it were of fire, and it sat 
' upon every one of them. Acts 2, 3. 

Rev. Jacob Marchant, in his sermon on 
“The Different Forms under Which the 
Holy Ghost Appeared/ 7 as quoted in the 
Bepertorium Oratoris Sacri , says: 

We believe in the Holy Ghost, the Third 
Person of the Blessed Trinity, who is true 
God as the Father and the Son. He des- 
cended upon the Apostles on the feast of 
Pentecost, in the form of fiery tongues, 
whilst when Jesus was baptized in the river 
Jordan, He appeared in the form of a dove, 
and at the transfiguration of Jesus, as a 
bright cloud. These forms under which 
the Holy Ghost appeared, are very signifi- 
cant, and expressive of important doctrines. 

I. When Jesus was baptized the Holy 
Ghost, as a dove, descended and remained 
upon Him. For His choice of this form 
the following motives may be assigned: 1. 
The dove is the emblem of purity. She 
loves cleanliness. The dove sent forth by 
Noe out of the ark, not finding on the earth, 
covered with filth and decayed bodies, where 
( 184 ) 


185 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

her foot might rest, returned to him. The 
Holy Grhost finds no rest in a heart con- 
taminated with sin. Like, Noe, the Father 
in heaven sends forth His Dove out of the 
heavenly ark, but every where on the whole 
face of the earth, in every state of fife, in 
every age and sex, He finds only the filth 
of sin. Jesus has restored to us the purity 
and innocence, of which sin had deprived 
us, by communicating to the water the 
power of purifying and sanctifying our 
souls, and transforming them into temples 
of the Holy Grhost. The words of the 
Psalmist: “ Create a clean heart in me, O 
Glod, and renew a right spirit within my 
bowels, 7 7 have been fulfilled, and, therefore, 
the Holy Grhost appeared at the baptism of 
our Saviour in the pure form of a dove. 

Ever since, the dove has been the emblem 
of a saintly soul. The tombs of the virgins 
in the catacombs are ornamented with the 
picture of a dove, as those of the martyrs 
with a palm branch. 

2. The dove is an emblem of the Church. 
Like the dove the Church is pure and un- 
defiled. Her doctrines, as well as her life, 
inculcate and present the most perfect model 
of true purity of heart ; she is the bride of 
Christ, without blemish. Like the dove, 
the Church is a messenger of peace; and 


186 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

the Holy Ghost, by coming down upon 
Jesus, designated Him as the Prince of 
Peace. The Church has been commissioned 
by J esus Christ to carry the bough of the 
olive tree, the emblem of peace with God, 
to the nations, and to preach, after Him, 
the Gospel to the poor. 

II. At the transfiguration of Jesus Christ, 
the Holy Ghost appeared as a bright cloud. 
According to holy Writ, the cloud is an 
emblem of divine grace. The Holy Ghost 
is the cloud, by the overshadowing of which 
the Blessed Virgin conceived. This cloud 
also led the Israelites to the Promised Land. 
Grace is, therefore, appropriately compared 
to a cloud ; for a cloud contains water , by 
which grace is often represented in holy 
Scripture. Like water* grace purifies, 
quenches thirst, imparts fresh vigor. The 
prophet Joel, speaking in the person of 
God, says: “I will pour out my Spirit upon 
all flesh. ” And our divine Lord assures us 
that “He that shall drink of the water that 
I shall give him, shall not thirst forever, 
but it shall become in him a fountain of 
water, springing up into everlasting life.” 
A cloud contains dew; and divine grace re- 
sembles dew: “As the dew of Hermon, 
which descended upon mount Zion. For 
there the Lord hath commanded blessing, 


187 


Come, Holy Ghost. 

and life forever more.” (Ps. 132, 3.) This 
dew may, therefore, be compared to the 
abundant dew of the Holy Ghost poured, 
after the ascension of Jesus Christ, by the 
Father of lights upon the Apostles gathered 
together on Sion. 

III. On the day of Pentecost the Holy 
Ghost appeared under the form of fiery 
tongues. Fire is, of all the elements, the 
most communicative, transforming objects 
to its own resemblance. The Holy Ghost, 
manifesting and imparting Himself through 
divine charity, produces these same effects 
in the Christian soul. The Apostles, after 
receiving this heavenly fire, spoke words of 
fire which, as the words of Elias, “burnt 
like a torch.” The Apostles spread this 
fire over the world ; and the Holy Ghost has 
enkindled this fire in the hearts of apostolic 
men at all times and in all ages of the 
Church. By appearing in the form of 
tongues of fire, the Holy Ghost intended to 
insinuate that He had come to heal our 
tongues. St. James says: “The tongue is 
a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is 
placed among our members, which defileth 
the whole body, and setteth on fire the 
wheel of our nativity, being set on fire by 
hell.” Therefore, the Living Fire came 
down from heaven, to heal the wound of 


188 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

our tongue and take away its poison. Let 
us entertain an ardent desire for this fire of 
the Holy Ghost, u which burns, but not con- 
sumes, which purifies the sons of Levi,” 
and tries the gold of charity which our Lord 
Himself counsels us to buy of Him. 

Fire was kept burning by God’s command 
without interruption on the altar of the 
temple. By fire He showed the com- 
placency He took in the sacrifices offered to 
Him. The Holy Ghost is the substantial 
fire sent by the Father and the Son into 
our hearts, to enkindle them with divine 
love. Place no obstacle in the way of the 
Holy Ghost by the sin of lukewarmness. 


0 God the Father, Lord of might and 
power, extend to me the abundance of Thy 
omnipotent grace. O God the Son, source 
of eternal wisdom, grant me light to dis- 
cern, and strength to fulfil Thy holy will. 
0 God the Holy Ghost, fire of divine char- 
ity, inflame my heart with the love of Thee. 
O Holy Trinity, have mercy on me, now 
and at the hour of my death. Amen. 



XL VII. 


Sins against the Holy Ghost, and Their 
Punishment. 


Whosoever shall speak a word against 
the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven 
him ; but he that shall speak against 
the Holy Ghost, it shall not be for- 
given him, neither in this world, nor 
in the world to come. 

St. Matt. 12, 32. 

Says Mgr. Gaume, from whom I have 
already quoted: — 

In point of fact there is nothing which 
concerns each one of us more than to know 
the Holy Ghost well, so that we may love 
Him ardently, and invoke Him frequently. 

First, He is God, like the Father and the 
Son; next, He is in a particular manner 
the Author of our sanctification ; finally, it 
is most strictly necessary that we should 
avoid sinning against the Holy Ghost, — an 
offence so grave that our Lord declared that 
sins committed against the Son of Man 
might be forgiven, but that sins committed 
( 189 ) 


190 


Come , Holy Gliosi. 

against the Holy Ghost would not be for- 
given either in this world or in the world 
to come. 

What can be more terrible than the ven- 
geance which God has taken, and still 
takes, even in this world, on sins against 
the Holy Grhost? Out of the multitude of 
examples, we shall cite but one : that of the 
Greeks. From the origin of the Church the 
Greeks, driven by the evil spirit, were con- 
tinually attacking the Third Person of the 
Blessed Trinity. Macedonius, the Patriarch 
of Constantinople, had the audacity to deny 
His divinity. At a later period this heresy, 
though condemned by the Church, reap- 
peared under various forms, and attacked 
the procession of the Holy Ghost. The Latin 
Church left no means untried to bring back 
the Greeks to the true Faith. After many 
fruitless endeavors, she at length succeeded 
in inducing them to accept and sign at Flo- 
rence the Catholic Creed. But scarcely had 
they returned to their own country, when 
they made a retraction of their act, and re- 
sumed their old blasphemies against the 
Holy Spirit. 

The last crime fills up the measure of 
their offences, and the new deicide shall be 
punished like the first. Here begins, be- 
tween the destruction of Jerusalem and the 
overthrow of Constantinople, a terrible re- 


191 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

semblance, which has not escaped the 
attention of Christian observers. The Jews 
blasphemed for three years against our 
Lord; the Greeks, from the close of the 
Council of Florence, blasphemed for thir- 
teen years against the Holy Ghost. Alarm- 
ing predictions announce to J erusalem the 
chastisements that must soon burst upon 
it ; predictions no less alarming announce to 
Constantinople the same fate. The Greeks, 
like the Jews, remain obstinate. Titus, a 
stranger in race and religion, comes at 
the head of his victorious legions to besiege 
Jerusalem; Mahomet II., a stranger in race 
and religion, appears at the head of a for- 
midable army under the walls of Constan- 
tinople. 

The Jews shut up in Jerusalem, are a 
prey to mutual enmities, and slay one 
another; the Greeks, shut up in Constan- 
tinople, abandon themselves to the same 
divisions, and the same excesses. Jerusa- 
lem falls into the hands of Titus, is wholly 
ruined, — the empire of the Jews is destroyed, 
and they themselves are led away into 
slavery; Constantinople, taken by Mahomet 
is surrendered to horrors and profanations 
greater than those of which Jerusalem was 
the scene ; the empire of the Greeks is de- 
stroyed, and they themselves sold, like vile 
cattle, are reduced to the most painful 


192 


Come, Holy Ghost. 

slavery. That nothing might be wanting to 
the resemblance, Titns surrounded Jerusa- 
lem about the days of the Pasch, the an- 
niversary of the deicide; Mahomed sur- 
rounded Constantinople about the same 
time, and took the city, May 29, 1453, at 
one o’clock in the morning, in the second 
day of the Feast of Pentecost. 

Thus, while the Latin Church, religiously 
assembled in its temples, was celebrating 
the solemn anniversary of the Descent of 
the Holy Ghost, and boldly proclaiming His 
divinity, the Eastern Church, which blas- 
phemously denied His divinity, was falling 
under the yoke of the barbarian. What 
conclusions are we to draw from this, unless 
that the two most frightful catastrophes of 
which history makes mention, — the ruin 
of Jerusalem and the sacking of Constan- 
tinople, — are, one, a splendid punishment 
of crime committed against the Second 
Person, and the other, no less splendid 
punishment of a similar crime committed 
against the Third Person of the ever Ador- 
able Trinity? 

O my God, who art all love, I thank Thee 
with my whole heart, for having established 
Thy Church to perpetuate Thy holy religion 
and our union with Thee; grant that I may 
ever be one of the docile sheep of Thy fold. 
Amen. 


XL VIII. 

I Believe in the Holy Catholic Church. 

For by one Spirit were we all baptized 
into one body. I Con. 12, 13. 

Says Mgr. Preston in the Divine Paraclete : 

The mission of the Holy Grhost on earth 
is directly connected with the Christian 
Church. Our confession of faith in the 
Holy Grhost is immediately followed by that 
of belief in the Holy Catholic Church. “I 
believe in the Holy Grhost, the Holy Catholic 
Church.” This, in the baptismal creed, 
implies the truth that we cannot rightly be- 
lieve in the divine Spirit unless we under- 
stand His operations in the visible body 
which He animates for the sanctification of 
its members and the world. The union be- 
tween the Church and the Holy Grhost is 
divine. From this union springs the super- 
natural charity which is the life and glory 
of the Christian dispensation. 

The entry of the eternal Spirit into the 
Church took place on the day of Pentecost, 
in fulfillment of the promise of Christ. It 
was a triumphal entry, which moved the 
earth and brought new life to the apostles. 
( 193 ) 


194 Come , Holy Ghost. 

In this manner the Holy Spirit had never 
been in the world until this day. He had 
been one in the operations of the Father 
and the Son. He had blessed the different 
ages and dispensations with His influence. 
He had been the unseen author of every 
good thought and work. All the race of 
man had known of sanctity came from the 
effusion of His gifts. Now He came by a 
special and personal presence, to complete 
the work of the Incarnate Son. It was 
necessary for the Son in our nature to atone 
for our transgressions, and in that nature to 
ascend to the throne on high, before the 
Holy Ghost could thus personally dwell on 
earth. 

In virtue of this presence the members of 
the Church are sanctified by a real union 
with the divine Spirit. This substantial 
union gives to each one the grace of un- 
created life, while the human personalty re- 
mains intact. St. Cyril of Alexandria says : 
“The Holy Grhost works in us by Himself, 
truly sanctifying us and uniting us to Him- 
self, while He joins us to Himself and makes 
us partakers of the divine nature.” St. 
Augustine says: “What the soul is to the 
body of man, that the Holy Ghost is to the 
body of Christ, which is the Church. What 
the Holy Ghost does in the whole Church, 


195 


Come, Holy Ghost. 

that the soul does in all the members of the 
body. In the body of a man it may happen 
that a member, the hand, the finger, the 
foot, may be cut off. Does the soul follow 
the severed member? While it was in the 
body it was alive ; cut it off, its life is lost. 
So a man is a Christian while he is alive in 
the body; cut off, he becomes a heretic.” 
The words of Scripture are abundant to 
establish this fact of redemption. It is just 
as important to believe in the personal pre- 
sence of the Holy Ghost in the visible 
Church as it is to confess the incarnation 
and passion of the Second Person of the 
Holy Trinity. The union of the Holy Ghost 
with the Church is so perfect that the scrip- 
tures and the Fathers speak as if it had a 
personality. “The head and the body,” 
says St. Augustine, “are one man, a perfect 
man: He the bridegroom, and she the 
bride.” 

That body, therefore, in which the Holy 
Ghost dwells by a personal and abiding 
presence, is of necessity permanently and 
essentially sanctified. It loses its mere 
human character and becomes divine. It is 
an organization of visible men, and, so far, 
of human nature ; but by the union of the 
members with God dwelling in the body it 
partakes of the life of God. As the soul 


196 


Come , Holy Ghost . 


informs the body and gives it vitality, 
so the quickening Spirit vitalizes the 
Church, and fills her with His divine energy. 
This is a direct and logical consequence of 
the presence of the Holy Ghost. The body 
which the Spirit, proceeding from the Father 
and the Son, animates, is in truth the 
temple of the Trinity. It is “built upon the 
foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, 
J esus Christ Himself being the Chief corner- 
stone ; in whom all the building, framed to- 
gether, groweth up into a temple in the 
Lord.” 


May the power of the Holy Ghost be with 
us, we beseech Thee, O God ; and may He 
in His mercy cleanse our hearts and save us 
from all dangers; through our Lord Jesus 
Christ, who with Thee and the same Holy 
Ghost liveth and reigneth, one God, world 
without end. Amen. 



XLIX. 

The Holy Ghost in the Mystical Body of Christ. 

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest 
upon Him : the Spirit of wisdom and 
of understanding, the Spirit of counsel 
and of fortitude ; the Spirit of know- 
ledge and of godliness. Isaias 11, 2. 

To quote still further from Mgr. Preston: 

The parallel between the gifts of the Holy 
Spirit to the Sacred Humanity, and His an- 
nointing of the mystical body, is plain and 
beautiful. Grace flows from the head to 
the members, and the members of the mis- 
tical body are quickened, because of the life 
which resides in the head. Each one of the 
members being baptized into Christ has put 
on Christ, and is to be conformed to His 
likeness. The Holy Spirit works unceas- 
ingly “for the edifying of the body of Christ, 
until we all meet in the unity of faith, and 
of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a 
perfect Man, unto the measure of the age 
of the fullness of Christ. ” So in prophetic 
vision the apostles beheld the great reality; 
( 197 ) 


198 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

the heavens opened, and the angels of God 
ascending and descending upon the Son of 
Man, upon the body of Christ. The mystery 
of the incarnation is real ; it is the founda- 
tion of all our hope. As it is real, so is the 
unction of the Spirit real ; and the w*y to 
peace for our race is only by the embrace 
and participation of the humanity of the 
Word made flesh. And this participation 
is by the gift of the Holy Ghost in the 
visible body wherein He dwells to complete 
the work of Christ, and bring all to the 
unity of one Man. Thus only do we receive 
power to become the sons of God. Thus 
are we born, not of blood, nor of the will 
of man, but of God. For this end was the 
Word made flesh, and for this end did He 
dwell among us. 

The conclusions which flow from our brief 
view of the earthly home of the Holy Ghost 
are such as should move all hearts. How 
wonderful is the plan of salvation which is 
here revealed to us. The condescension of 
the Father, the incarnation of the Son, and 
the indwelling of the Holy Ghost are the 
mysteries of grace by which the fallen race 
of Adam is brought back to God. When 
all human help was in vain, and the pity of 
angels availed nothing, the majesty of the 
Trinity was bowed down, and the strength 


199 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

of the eternal Three was spent in onr re- 
demption. The new race takes the place of 
the old. The second Adam is quickened by 
the Spirit. In Him we are one body, the 
temples of the Holy Ghost, and the habita- 
tion of God through the Spirit. In Him we 
are annointed with the unction from above ; 
and as in the Sacred Humanity the glory of 
the Paraclete rested, descending as a dove 
and abiding on him, so on the mystical body 
which is one with that Humanity the oil of 
gladness perpetually flows. The redeemed 
are in truth the children of the Father, be- 
cause the brethren of the Son and the taber- 
nacles of the Holy Ghost. 

They, therefore, who seek for the sancti- 
fying grace of the Spirit must come to the 
home where He dwells, to the visible temple 
where alone the Paraclete takes of the things 
of Christ and shows them to His chosen. 
Vainly shall any man seek to draw nigh the 
eternal Trinity, without the atonement of 
the Son and the indwelling of the Holy 
Ghost. As the ark upon the waves of the 
deluge, so is the Church of Jesus Christ. It 
bears the children of the second Adam to 
the heavenly shore, and the earthly home 
of the Holy Ghost becomes the temple of 
the beatific vision. 


200 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

0 Holy Ghost, I long greatly to enter into 
that home of God where Thou dwellest in 
Thy strength, in Thy wisdom, and in Thy 
love. There Thou art adored by saints and 
angels ; and there Thy servants serve Thee 
and see Thy face. Bring me, O uncreated 
Love, to the city in the heavenly Mount 
Sion, from which they who enter go out no 
more. Amen. 






KtT 




L. 

The Same, continued. 

By one Spirit are we all baptized into 
Christ, and so into one body, where we 
all drink from one Spirit. 

I. Cor. 12, 13. 

Continuing from Mgr. Preston, I take the 
following: — 

The life communicated to the Church is 
for the end of completing the work of 
Christ, and making known His Gospel to 
the successive generations of men. The 
Holy G-host abiding in His temple is the 
divine light shining in the darkness of earth. 
And the most necessary office of the Church 
is to teach to all men the faith by which 
they may be saved. As the incorruptible 
body of Christ, and the dwelling place of 
the eternal Spirit, she must possess a super- 
natural knowledge of the truth, and the 
power to teach, without the possibility of 
error. There is also another faculty which 
comes from the life of her soul, the Spirit of 
God. It is not only the power to teach, but 
to give the grace which prepares the way of 
the truth, and enables the hearer to appre- 
ciate and improve it. In the second gift of 
( 201 ) 


202 Come , Holy Ghost . 

the Holy Ghost to the Church are com- 
prehended, therefore, inerrancy in receiving 
divine revelation, infallibility in teaching it, 
and supernatural unction in imparting it. 
In. these three departments of her infal- 
libility the Church acts, as she can only act, 
as the organ of the Spirit. She has no life 
without Him, and never can her union with 
Him be sundered, not even for a moment. 
It is always the Holy Grhost who lives, 
speaks, and acts in and through her. 

The truth, therefore, which the human in- 
telligence is able to receive, is communicated 
to it by the special influence of the Holy 
Grhost; and there must of necessity be in- 
errancy in the Church which, hearing the 
words of God, is able to keep them and 
make them fruitful. The Word incarnate 
spoke on earth, and His words are made 
manifest by the Paraclete. Apostles have 
spoken, and the Spirit has spoken by them. 
The supreme Pastor of the Church, whose 
faith, by the promise of Christ, can never 
fail, speaketh, and it is the Holy Ghost who 
speaketh by Him. To suppose the pos- 
sibility of error in the reception of the faith 
by the Church would be to deny the presence 
and power of God, to call in question the 
attributes of the Holy Ghost, and separate 
what the divine hands have closely joined 
together, Christ and the Church. 


203 


Come , Roly Ghost . 

The Holy Ghost does not, however, teach 
as men. Employing human instrumentality, 
which He sanctifies, He acts ever as God, 
and impresses upon the intelligence and 
heart the truth which He imparts. His 
words are all quickening. “The word of 
God is living and effectual, and more pierc- 
ing than any two-edged sword; and reach- 
ing unto the division of the soul and the 
spirit, of the joints also and the marrow; 
and is a discerner of the thoughts and in- 
tents of the heart.” (Heb. 4, 12.) He pre- 
pares the way of the faith which He teaches, 
and by His breath gives unction to the voice 
which proclaims it. He infuses the virtue 
of faith, and enables the different minds to 
hear as one, and see as one in the things re- 
vealed. Thus He gives the capacity to be- 
lieve, and makes the grand unity of faith in 
the one body of Christ. 

The Holy Ghost is the active principle of 
sanctification. In His nature, proceeding 
from the Father and the Son, as the eternal 
expression of their mutual will and love, He 
is the organ of communication with created 
things. Wherever, then, He is, there is the 
liberality of the Trinity in the giving of 
grace, the beneficence of the Godhead in the 
pouring out of His benign influence. The 
body, therefore, which the Spirit animates 


204 Come , Holy Ghost . 

must partake of His holiness. Its super- 
natural life is all from Him, and shares in 
His essential attributes. Moreover, the end 
of His indwelling is the sanctification of the 
Church. The Church itself is the external 
sign of His presence, and the sacrament of 
unity with Hod. This incorporation with 
God through Christ by the Spirit can take 
place only by union to the Church in which 
the Holy Ghost dwells. 

0 Spirit of love, give me grace to know 
Thee better and to taste and see how sweet 
Thou art. The joy of the world is nothing, 
and the pleasure of creatures is nothing ; the 
desire of the eyes is nothing ; but Thou art 
all in all, and at Thy right hand are pleasures 
for evermore. With Thee is the joy which 
fadeth not, and the love which ceaseth not. 
With Thee is the day of rest that remaineth 
for the people of God. With Thee is the 
fulness of bliss. O Spirit of glory, let the 
thought of this be ever with me, and let the 
hope of this be the day-star of my soul. By 
the love which Thou hast for Jesus, save me 
from evil and keep me from sin. O Spirit 
of peace, my own beloved, I trust Thee and 
give myself to Thee. Thou dost teach me ; 
for Thou art the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, 
whom the Father sent in the name of Jesus. 
Amen. 


LI. 

Christian Fortitude. 

I will give you a mouth and wisdom, 
which all your adversaries shall not be 
able to resist and gainsay. 

St. huke 21, 15. 

The noted convert and writer Dr. Orestes 
A. Brownson, in liis essay on “Recent 
Events in France,” written in December, 
1871, speaks in his own forcible style of the 
lack of courage and a spirit of self-defence 
among too many Catholics; and however 
much his remarks may differ from the gen- 
eral tone of the selections found in this 
volume, I cannot but feel that they are de- 
serving of careful consideration. When we 
see the manner in which the Church and her 
rights are trampled on in many countries of 
the world, our own included, we cannot but 
feel that our Catholic men lack the courage 
and manliness that one would naturally ex- 
pect to find in them. And this spirit is 
growing in strength from the fact that the 
spirit of indifference is spreading, owing to 
(205) 


206 


Come, Holy Ghost. 

so many Catholics sending their children for 
instruction to schools from which all religion 
is carefully excluded. If our Catholic men 
were men as they should be, they could 
secure their rights in spite of all opposition ; 
but it must come from the cultivation of 
devotion to the Spirit of true wisdom, 
knowdedge and fortitude, which it is the 
purpose of this little volume to aid in foster- 
ing and strengthening. As all power is 
from God, so is all true wisdom from God. 
Says Dr. Brownson: — 

It is a duty to pray, and to pray always, 
but sometimes it is a duty for a Christian to 
fight, and to have not only the courage to 
die in the battle for a holy cause, but, to 
generous souls, the far more difficult cour- 
age, the courage to kill. We have observed 
among French Catholics no lack of courage 
against a foreign foe, but a fearful lack of 
courage against a domestic foe, as in the 
late communistic insurrection in Paris. 

It is only in old Catholic nations that the 
Church loses ground, and this proves that 
the cause is not in her. It can be traced to 
no Catholic cause, but must be traced to 
some defect in the Catholic administration 
in these old Catholic nations themselves. 
Catholics protect Catholic interests better, 
and have more influence in public affairs in 


207 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

Prussia, in Great Britain and Ireland, in 
Holland, and in the United States, than in 
Austria, France, Spain or Italy. Why is 
this? 

One reason we may perhaps find in the 
failure of pious and devout Catholics to con- 
sider the difference between their duties in 
a Catholic state and what were their duties 
in the early ages under pagan emperors. 

Another reason may probably be found 
in the fact that the mass of Catholics have 
been trained and accustomed to rely on ex- 
ternal authority ; to look for protection and 
support not to Grod and themselves, but to 
the secular government. They have not 
been taught to rely on spiritual authority 
alone, but on the secular sovereign as a sort 
of episcopus externa , — a secular bishop. 
This had no evil consequences so long as the 
secular sovereign was faithful, and acted 
only under the direction and authority of, 
and in concert with the Supreme Pontiff; 
but it had a most disastrous effect when the 
sovereign acted in ecclesiastical matters in 
his own name, and when he turned against 
the Pope, and sought to subject the Church 
in his dominions to his own control and 
supervision, which was not seldom the case. 
But the clergy and people, accustomed to 
look to the secular authority to guard the 


208 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

fold against the entrance of the wolves, be- 
came slack in their vigilance and remiss in 
acquiring habits of self-reliance, and, with 
the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, of self- 
defence. 

Another reason, growing out of the last, 
may be found in the habit that has grown 
up since the rise of Protestantism, of relying 
on the external almost to the exclusion of 
the internal authority of the Holy Ghost. 
The Holy Ghost dwells in the Church, and 
teaches and governs through her as His ex- 
ternal organ ; he dwells also in the souls of 
the faithful, and inspires and directs them, 
and gives vigor, robustness, and self-reliance 
to their piety. Protestantism assailed the 
external authority of the Church, and made 
it necessary for Catholics to turn their at- 
tention to its defence, and to show that no 
spirit that disregards it, or that does not 
assert it, and conform to it, can be the 
spirit of truth, but is the spirit of error, in 
reality Antichrist, who the blessed Apostle 
John tells us, was already in his time in the 
world; yet it may be that the defence of 
what we call the external authority of the 
Holy Ghost, or authority of the Church as 
a teaching and governing body, has caused 
some neglect in the great body of the faith- 
ful of the interior inspirations and guidance 


209 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

of the Holy Grhost in the individual soul. 
No Catholic will misunderstand us. We 
appreciate as much as any one can the ex- 
ternal authority of the Church, her suprem- 
acy, her infallibility; we accept ex ammo , 
— with our whole being, — the supremacy 
and infallibility of the successor of St. 
Peter in the See of Rome, as defined in the 
recent Council of the Vatican, and we 
should be no better than a Protestant if we 
did not ; but that external authority is not 
alone, or alone sufficient, as every Catholic 
knows, for the soul, and its acceptance is 
not sufficient for salvation. The Holy 
Grhost must dwell in the individual soul, 
forming “Christ within, the hope of glory.” 
We do not mean to imply that any of the 
ascetic writers or spiritual directors over- 
look the need of the interior inspirations 
and guidance of the Holy Spirit, or fail to 
give it due prominence, but that its author- 
ity has not had due prominence given it in 
contraversial literature and in our exposi- 
tions of Catholic faith intended for the 
public at large. 


Come, O Spirit of Fortitude, and give 
fortitude to our souls. Make our hearts 
strong in all trials and in all distress, pour- 
ing forth abundantly into them the gift of 


210 


i 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

strength, that we may be able to resist the 
attacks of the devil. Help us, Spirit of 
Strength, to win the victory, so that we 
may not be cut off from Thee, our highest 
good and our Lord. Amen. 






LII. 

The Operation of the Holy Ghost in the Soul. 

Dearly beloved, we are now the sons 
of God ; and it hath not yet appeared 
what we shall be. We know that when 
He shall appear, we shall be like to 
Him, because we shall see Him as He 
is. 1. St. John 3, 2. 

Archbishop Zardetti, concluding the 
Third Part of his work on Devotion to the 
Holy Ghost , says: — 

We have no w had a glance at the tran- 
scendent office of the Holy Grhost from the 
very beginning of creation to its consum- 
mation in eternal glory. The brief sketch 
given in the preceding pages, can only 
serve to bring home to our minds and con- 
sciousness the office of the Holy Grhost, so 
much obscured in the popular belief not 
only of those outside of the Catholic 
Church, but even of Catholics. In propor- 
tion to our knowledge and realization of 
what Christian revelation teaches us of the 
person, the mission, the work, the office, 
the gifts of the Holy Grhost, will grow and 
increase our true devotion to the Third per- 
son of the Holy Trinity. 

( 211 ) 


212 Come , Holy Ghost . 

If by prayer we draw the supernatural 
light upon us, and in this supernatural light 
we understand, realize and love the things 
of God, this is twice and thrice true of all 
that concerns this devotion to the divine 
Paraclete. In the Holy Ghost and by His 
illumination we open our eyes to the things 
and realities of another world. As St. Paul 
teaches: “We have received not the spirit 
of this world, but the Spirit that is of God; 
that we may know the things that are given 
us from God.” In the Holy Spirit we are 
transformed into new creatures, or into 
spiritual men, who, in opposition to flesh 
and blood understand the things of the 
spirit, and relish them. “The sensual 
man,” says St. Paul, “perceiveth not these 
things that are of the Spirit of God ; for it 
is foolishness to him and he cannot under- 
stand, because it is spiritually examined.” 
In the Spirit alone, internally teaching us 
to believe and understand what externally 
He speaks to us through His organ on 
earth, the Church, we know all things. 

Without the Holy Ghost, illumining, 
sanctifying and inspiring us, we, as indi- 
viduals, are animal men and have no part 
in Christ and His redemption. Without 
faith in the Holy Ghost who is living and 
teaching us through the infallible Church, 


213 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

the body of Christ, a religious society re- 
jects the Pentecostal mission and evan- 
gelical office of the Holy Ghost, which 
specially distinguishes the faith of Catholics 
from the faith of Judaism. Finally, with- 
out a fervent devotion to the Holy Ghost, 
and a proportionate effusion of His grace 
upon us, we will, even as Catholics and 
children of the Church, remain more or less 
formal, earthly minded, sensual, slow to 
understand and cold in love. Let us, then, 
apprehend the possibility of succeeding 
with God in our efforts and strides to ac- 
quire daily more and more of His divine 
Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of 
grace to whom we are to go in all supplica- 
tion. The more we do so, the more we 
honor His divine office, and the better we 
fulfill our duty, and consequently the larger 
will be our share in His divine favors. We 
are always to consider our case as one of 
great promise when we desire and strive to 
acquire and retain the Spirit of God. But 
we should take alarm , whenever we detect 
in ourselves a growing indifference for the 
Holy Spirit of God. But if we, feeling a 
decay and languishment, cry with impor- 
tunity to God, the case is not hopeless. He 
has said that He will give the Spirit to them 
that ask for it, and that He will pour out 


214 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

His Spirit upon us. And we may the more 
boldly ask, because we can suppose our- 
selves to be nearer the days when there 
shall be more general outpouring of the 
Spirit. This will undoubtedly be when de- 
votion to the Holy Ghost has become more 
universal and fervent. 


Lamb of God, who takest away the sins 
of the world, pour on us the Holy Ghost. 
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of 
the world, send forth on us the promised 
Spirit of the Father. Lamb of God, who 
takest away the sins of the world, give us 
the Spirit of Peace. Amen. 



LIII. 

Our Heavenly Guide. 

If any one love Me he will keep My 
word, and My Father will love him, 
and we will come to him and make Our 
abode with him. St.John 14: 23. 

The Paulist Fathers, speaking in one of 
their Sermons of the manner in which the 
Holy Spirit guides the children of Grod, 
say: — 

To-day the Church sends up her voice of 
praise for the coming of the Holy Spirit. 
On this day of Pentecost the Holy Grhost, 
the personal love of the Father and the Son, 
came upon the disciples in the upper cham- 
ber in Jerusalem, where they gathered to- 
gether in prayer awaiting the promise of the 
Father. He came upon weak and timid 
men, but when He had poured Himself upon 
them, behold we have the great Apostles, 
the teachers of the divine word, the fearless 
and untiring searchers after souls, the foun- 
ders of the Church. Ah, what a change 
has been wrought in these timid followers 
of Jesus, who had fled from Him in the hour 
( 215 ) 


216 


Come, Holy Ghost . 

of His need, and who, after His resurrec- 
tion, lay hid with barred doors for fear of 
the Jews! Their fear and their weakness 
have disappeared, and the whole world is 
not large enough for the exercise of their 
zeal, nor less than the conversion of all 
nations, the end of their noble ambition. 

But the self-same Holy Ghost, who 
brought about this change in the Apostles, 
comes to us, nay, abides with us, if we fulfil 
the conditions our Lord lays down, — namely, 
that we love Him. And He makes the test 
of our love the keeping of His word. If we 
love Him, the Father will love us, and the 
Father and the Son will come to us and 
make their abode with us through the in- 
dwelling of the Holy Ghost. 

The Holy Ghost is our sanctifier. It is 
He to whom are ascribed the works of love. 
He dispenses the graces which the merits of 
Jesus Christ have won for us. He purifies 
from sin and unites our souls to God. He 
dwells in everyone who is free from grievous 
sin, and by His light and strength He gives 
us help to overcome the temptations that 
assail us. He is the Spirit of joy and sweet- 
ness, filling us with the fear of God, urging 
us on in the love of God, guarding us from 
the loss of God’s friendship by the winning 
sweetness of His consolations . How greatly, 


217 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

then, should we love and adore the Holy 
Ghost, the third Person of the Blessed 
Trinity. We should often call upon Him, 
and pray to Him. We do not invoke the 
Holy Ghost enough. We pray to the Father 
and the Son, and so, indirectly honor God, 
the Holy Spirit ; but we should pray more 
frequently to Him directly. We should call 
upon Him to give us, if we have it not, the 
grace of God, and to increase in us the fire 
of divine love that we may realize in our- 
selves the promise of the abiding of God in 
us by keeping His laws. 

What a folly it is for us to imagine that 
God can have a dwelling-place in our sin- 
stained soul. How can the Holy Spirit find 
pleasure in one who by mortal sin has made 
himself God’s enemy; who has been guilty 
of a deliberate act of rebellion against his 
Maker, and been unfaithful to or left un- 
heeded His own sweet drawing? Alas for 
us, if this Pentecost finds us in this awful 
state. Alas, if the voice of our conscience 
has been silenced ; this day then brings no 
joy to us. The Holy Spirit has no abiding- 
place within our souls. We have not loved 
the Son because we have not kept His 
words: “He that loveth Me not, keepeth 
not My words.” And because we have not 
loved Him, the Father and He will not 


218 


Come, Holy Ghost . 

come to us. The loving Holy Ghost is not 
master in our house ; we have driven Him 
out who was our best friend, and thrown 
open the gate to our enemy. Will you re- 
main thus, you who are in sin? Let not 
this day go by and to-morrow find you un- 
repentant. Grieve for your past offences, 
keep the law of God, and you shall have the 
fullness of the Holy Spirit. 


0 my God, who art all love, I thank Thee 
for having brought us into life in the bosom 
of Thy Holy Church ; grant us the grace to 
be ever sincerely attached to the Koman 
Church, the Mother and Mistress of all 
churches. Amen. 


LIV. 


Divine Grace. 

I live, now not I ; but Christ liveth 
in me. Galat. 2 : 20. 

In that sterling work, The Sinner's Guide , 
the venerable Louis of Granada, speaking 
of the grace of the Holy G-host which is be- 
stowed upon virtuous men, writes: — 

From His Fatherly providence, as from a 
fountain, flow all the favors G-od bestows on 
those who serve Him. For it belongs to 
this providence to supply them with all 
necessaries for the obtaining of their end, 
which is their last perfection and happiness, 
by assisting them in all their wants, and in- 
fusing into their souls such virtues and 
habits as are requisite for this end. Of all 
which the chief is the grace of the Holy 
G-host, because next to this divine provi- 
dence, it is the beginning of all other heav- 
enly gifts and privileges. It is the garment 
which was first given to the prodigal, on his 
return to his father's house. 

( 219 ) 


220 Come y Holy Ghost . 

Grace is also a divine and supernatural 
form, by means whereof man lives suitably 
to the origin and source he proceeds from, 
which is supernatural and divine. And 
here it is the providence of God so glori- 
ously exerts itself. For it being His will 
that man should have two lives, the one 
natural and the other supernatural, He has 
to this end given him two forms, which are, 
as it were, two souls*, for each life one. 
Hence it follows that as all the powers and 
sensations of the natural life spring from the 
soul, the natural form; so from grace, the 
supernatural form, flow all those virtues and 
gifts of the Holy Ghost, that go to the sup- 
port of the supernatural life. As if one 
man should furnish another, that under- 
stands two trades, with two sets of tools, to 
work at them both. . 

In the second place, grace is a super- 
natural dress and ornament for the soul, 
made by the hands of the Holy Ghost, which 
renders her so acceptable to God that He 
adopts her for His daughter, and takes her 
for His bride. It is in this dress the pro- 
phet gloried, when he said: “I will greatly 
rejoice, in the Lord, and my soul shall be 
joyful in my God: for He hath clothed me 
with the garment of salvation ; and with the 
robe of justice He hath covered me, as a 


221 


Come , L Icily Ghost . 

bridegroom decked with a crown, and as a 
bride adorned with her jewels , ” (Isaias 61: 
10. ) ; which are the several gifts of the Holy 
Gihost, wherewith the soul of a just man is 
adorned and beautified by the hand of God. 
From what has been said, we judge what 
effects grace works on the soul it resides in. 
One of the greatest is, to make her look so 
lovely and fair in the eyes of God, that He 
chooses her, as has been said, for His daugh- 
ter, His spouse, His temple and His habita- 
tion, where He takes His pleasure with the 
children of men. 

A third effect of it is, to make man so 
pleasing to God, and to give him such power 
with Him, that every action deliberately 
performed, saving those that are sinful, is 
acceptable to the meriting of eternal life. 
So that not only acts of virtue, but even 
those actions that are done in submission to 
the necessities of nature, as eating, drink- 
ing, sleeping and the like, are grateful to 
God, and merit such a favor. For when the 
object itself is so agreeable and meritorious, 
whatever it does that is not sin must be so 
too. Besides all this, grace makes man the 
adopted son of God and heir to his king- 
dom. It causes his name to be written in 
the book of life, and gives him a claim to 
the inheritance of heaven. This, therefore, 


222 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

is the greatest treasure a man can wish for 
in this life. But what is yet above all, grace 
brings down Grod Himself into our souls, 
that He by His presence may govern, defend 
and conduct them to heaven. If, therefore, 
so precious a pearl as this is, which brings 
in such vast treasures, be the inseparable 
portion of virtue, can any man refuse to 
imitate the direction of the wise merchant 
in the gospel, who gave all he had for the 
purchase of this jewel! 


O Grod, who dost dispose the service of 
Angels and men in a wonderful order, 
mercifully grant that as Thy holy Angels 
always minister before Thee in heaven, so 
by them we may be protected in our life on 
earth. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 



LV. 

The Holy Ghost the Author of Sanctification. 

I in them, and Thou in Me: that 
they also may be one in us. 

St. John 17, 23. 

Speaking of the indwelling of the Holy 
Ghost, Rev. William Humphrey, S. J M 
writes in his excellent work The One Medi- 
ator : — 

The sanctification of the human soul is 
effected by means of supernatural gifts of 
created grace. This grace is a created 
reality which, after the manner of a quality 
cleaves, to the soul. It ennobles the soul 
in itself and in all its faculties. It lifts it 
above the level of its nature to that super- 
natural mode of being wherewith the grace 
itself exists, and to a supernatural state and 
power of operation. The sanctified soul 
thus attains to a likeness of the divine 
nature and life which is far above the de- 
mands and potentialities of all created sub- 
stances, and so of both angelic and human 
natures as such. 

But this is not all. Along with, and by 
reason of, sanctifying grace the Holy Ghost 
( 223 ) 


224 Come , Holy Ghost . 

is Himself communicated, and in a special 
manner conjoined with the sanctified soul. 
Sacred Scripture distinctly teaches that the 
Person of the Holy Ghost is communicated 
to us, and given to abide in us. It exhibits 
this conjoint but distinct communication of 
the Holy Ghost as a cause, with the com- 
munication of the gift of grace as an effect. 
The Holy Ghost abides and dwells in us as 
the Loving and Loved in the loved and lov- 
ing, — as protector and guardian and be- 
stower of the gifts of grace, — as the Spirit 
of our adoption to be the sons of God, — as 
the cause and source of supernatural life, — 
seal and pledge and earnest of the promised 
possession of God in the fullness of the 
beatific vision, — as God in His human 
temple which, both in soul and body, He 
has consecrated for Himself as the place of 
His indwelling. 

Throughout the Sacred Scriptures the in- 
dwelling of the Holy Ghost the Sanctifier is 
set forth in its connection with sanctifying 
gifts, but as distinct from them, as it is the 
highest pinnacle of the love of God towards 
His creatures. It is not only grace and the 
effects of the Holy Ghost that are produced 
in us, but the Holy Ghost Himself is in- 
timately and in a special manner united to 
us. By reason of our union with Him we 


225 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

are called and are partakers of the divine 
nature. Moreover it is not as minister that 
He dwells in us. He dwells in us as He by 
His own virtue bestows grace, and Himself 
sanctifies us. 

The Holy Ghost first efficiently sanctifies 
by the shedding abroad of the charity or 
grace of God in our hearts, — then, further, 
He it is to whom we are joined by the bond 
of grace, charity and friendship, — and so 
He, the indwelling Spirit, is the crown of 
our sanctification. A sanctified soul, there- 
fore, or a soul in the state of sanctifying 
grace, is united to God, as He is absolute 
Love. Since the God who loves is the 
Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, that 
soul is united to all and every one of the 
three Divine Persons. It is united to the 
Father and the Son as they by their one 
and mutual love breath forth the proceed- 
ing, produced and subsisting Love, who is 
the substantial term of their love, — the 
Holy Ghost. It is united to Him as He is 
the love thus breathed forth. The Divine 
Persons in Their unity remain personally 
distinct one from the other, and the charac- 
teristics of the Persons who breath forth by 
love, and of the personal love who is 
breathed forth by them, are not confused; 
and yet the Holy Ghost is not by Himself 


226 


Come , Roly Ghost, 

united to the sanctified soul in any mode in 
which the Father and the Son are not 
united. At the same time and by reason 
of His proper personal character as He is 
the personal Divine love, — the personal 
Divine Gift, — and therefore the Divine 
Sanctifier, the Father and the Son are said 
to dwell in us by the Holy Ghost. We are 
also said to be partakers of the Father and 
the Son in the Holy Ghost, and to be con- 
joined to the Father and the Son through 
the Holy Ghost. 


O Almighty and Eternal God, most just 
and merciful, grant to us miserable creatures 
Thy grace, that we may always do what 
Thou wiliest, that, thus purified and en- 
lightened interiorly, and so inflamed with 
the fire of Thy Holy Spirit, we may follow 
in the footsteps of Thy Beloved Son Jesus 
Christ, and thus arrive at the possession of 
Thee who livest and reignest, one God, 
world without end. Amen. 




LVI. 

First FlowrM of the Desert Wild. 

I will lead her into the wilderness, 
and will speak to her heart. 

Osee 2: 14. 

First flowret of the desert wild, 

Whose leaves the sweets of grace exhale, 

We greet thee, Lima’s sainted child — 
Rose of America — all hail. 

The following evidence of the workings 
of the Spirit of God in America’s first saint 
will be read with special interest. Says her 
biographer : — 

The Holy Spirit having chosen the blessed 
Rose as His Temple, became Himself her 
Master, and taught her how to pray from 
her earliest infancy. The supernatural 
lights with which He enriched her under- 
standing, inflamed her heart with so ardent 
a love for this holy exercise, that even sleep 
itself, which by the necessity of nature she 
was compelled to take, could not distract 
her from it ; for her imagination was so com- 
pletely absorbed in it, that she was often 
heard to repeat while asleep, the same num- 
ber of vocal prayers as she had said during 
the day. Her piety increasing with her 
years, she applied herself wholely to God 
from her twelfth year by the prayer of 
( 227 ) 


228 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

union, by means of which the soul becomes 
one spirit with Him, according to the words 
of St. Paul. She had two different methods 
of conversing with God; one in solitude, 
when, having disengaged her mind from the 
care of earthly things, she retired to her 
hermitage, or to some other place apart 
from creatures, to attend solely and uninter- 
ruptedly to G-od ; the other in any place or 
in any employment that occupied her ; for 
she kept her mind so united to God, and 
recollected in Him, that she prayed in work- 
ing or in exercising charity toward the 
afflicted ; thus, whether she walked, worked, 
or whatever she did, she was always in 
prayer. 

She employed every day twelve hours in 
the first kind of prayer ; the second was con- 
tinual, unless she was interrupted by the 
representations of horrible phantoms, so 
that she prayed without interruption, ac- 
cording to the advice of the great Apostle, 
for whether she slept or watched, whether 
she conversed, ate, read spiritual books, 
went abroad or remained in her cell, God 
was incessantly in her thoughts, and she 
entertained herself with him in loving col- 
loquies. It is beyond the power of our im- 
agination to conceive how, though the pres- 
ence of God entirely engrossed all the in- 
terior powers of her soul, she still acted in 


229 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

exterior things with great presence of mind, 
giving the proper answer to questions, and 
finishing the work she commenced. In the 
time of prayer her senses were so recollected, 
that they represented nothing to her imagi- 
nation which could distract her from her in- 
tercourse with Giod ; when in the church she 
fixed her eyes steadfastly on the altar, and 
never looked at anything else ; she was so 
absorbed in the divine mysteries, that she 
never knew who passed before her. 

Her love of God, which continually in- 
creased by the consideration of His divine 
attributes, made her words like burning 
coals, which lighted up the same fire in the 
hearts of those with whom she conversed ; 
for she was careful to make use of every- 
thing to lead them to love virtue and hate 
vice. Every thing she saw or heard 
elevated her mind above her senses, even so 
as to throw her into a rapture. 


All praise, thanksgiving and glory be 
given to God the Holy Ghost who, by His 
personal indwelling in our souls and bodies, 
sanctifies and consecrates unto God our en- 
tire being, enabling us to think holily, and 
to produce His divine fruits: charity, joy, 
peace, patience, benignity, godliness, long- 
animity, mildness, faith, modesty, con- 
tinency, chastity. Amen. 


LVII. 


The Holy Ghost Brings Perpetual Spring to 
the Soul. 

If any man love me, he will keep My 
word, and My Father will love him 
and we will come to him, and will 
make our abode with him. 

St. John 14, 23. 

In one of those charmingly simple dis- 
courses which only the saintly Cure of Ars 
knew how to give to the throngs that almost 
trampled on each other in their eagerness 
to get near him, he says: — 

In the soul which is united to God it is 
always spring. Like a beautiful white 
dove, which rises from the midst of the 
waters and shakes its wings over the earth, 
the Holy Ghost comes forth from the in- 
finite ocean of the divine perfections, and 
hovers over pure souls, to infuse into them 
the balm of pure love. The Holy Ghost re- 
poses in a pure soul as on a bed of roses. 
The soul wherein the Holy Spirit dwells 
exhales a sweet perfume, like the vine when 
in flower. 


( 230 ) 


231 


Come , Roly Ghost . 

He who has preserved his baptismal in- 
nocence is like a child who has never dis- 
obeyed his father. When we have pre- 
served our innocence, we feel borne upward 
by love, as a bird by its wings. They 
whose souls are pure are like the eagles and 
the swallows which fly in the air. A Chris- 
tian whose heart is pure is upon earth like 
a bird. He waits but the moment when the 
thread shall be cut to fly away. Good 
Christians are like those birds which have 
large wings and little feet, and which never 
rest on the ground, lest, being unable to 
rise again, they should be taken; so they 
make their nest in some high place, as on 
the point of a rock or the eave of a house. 
And thus should the Christian dwell ever 
on the hight. As soon as we lower our 
thoughts to earth, we are taken. 

A pure soul is like a beautiful pearl : as 
long as it remains hidden in the shell at the 
bottom of the sea, no one thinks of ad- 
miring it, but if you place it in the light of 
the sun, it attracts all eyes. Thus the pure 
soul, which is now hidden from the eyes of 
the world, shall one day shine before the 
angels in the sunlight of eternity. The 
pure soul is as a beautiful rose, and the 
Three divine Persons descend from heaven 
to breathe its perfume. 


232 


Come , Holy Ghost. 


What will be the bliss of the just, when, 
at the end of the world, the soul, embalmed 
with the fragrance of heaven, shall come to 
seek its body, to enjoy God for all eternity. 
The bodies of the just shall shine in heaven 
like brilliant diamonds, like globes of fire. 


Come, Holy Spirit, take entire possession 
of my heart and soul. Enlighten and 
strengthen me by Thy grace, that I may-do 
all things well. May I never have any 
other end in view but the greater honor and 
glory of God, the good of my soul and the 
welfare of my neighbor. Amen. 




LYIII. 

The Fruits of the Holy Ghost in the Soul. 

If any one love Me, My Father will 
love him, and we will come to him and 
make our abode with him. 

St. John 14. 23. 

Speaking of the fruits of the Holy Gihost 
in the individual believer, — a matter of the 
very first importance, — Mgr. Preston, in 
his Divine Paraclete says : — 

Having seen the office of the blessed 
Spirit in the Church which Ho sanctifies, 
we now come to consider the gracious fruits 
of His presence in the individual members 
of the body of Christ. This view of the 
gifts which He has poured out upon us of 
His fullness, will still more excite our hearts 
to adoring love and active gratitude. As 
Grod is ever His own end, so when, by con- 
descending mercy, He comes to us He lifts 
us to Himself, and bears our affections and 
our intellects toward the infinite fountain 
of life and love. By the Holy Grhost we 
move toward Grod; by Him we know the 
Father and the Son, and by His light be- 
hold the uncreated glory. It is the Spirit, 
says St. Paul, who helpeth our infirmity. 
( 233 ) 


234 


Come , Roly Ghost. 

It is the Spirit himself who asketh for us 
with unspeakable groanings. And He who 
searcheth the hearts, knoweth what the 
Spirit desireth, because He asketh for the 
saints according to God. The Christian life 
is all for God, and all in God. Even 
though to mortal eyes we bear the likeness 
of death and corruption, yet we are the 
tabernacles of the Most High. 

The fruits of the Holy Ghost in us, who 
are the members of Christ’s body, are as 
many and as wonderful as the attributes of 
their source can convey to created intelli- 
gences. No human mind can span them in 
their length and breath. No earthly tongue 
can speak worthily of their operations 
which are all divine. Star from star differs 
in glory ; and the world of the Spirit is filled 
with the proofs of their immensity. 

The Holy Ghost comes to abide in the 
believer, as the true life of his regenerate 
nature. If the Church be the temple of 
God by reason of the Holy Spirit dwelling 
within her, then by necessity all who are 
her members are likewise the tabernacles of 
the Holy Ghost. It is by the agency of the 
Spirit that individual men are made mem- 
bers of the one body, No earthly power 
could admit them to union with a divine or- 
ganization. God must act, and by a special 


235 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

exercise of His influence, in order that 
those who are by nature sinful and His 
enemies, may be made partakers in a society 
which is the aggregation of those whom He 
adopts as His children. This indwelling of 
the Holy Ghost in the just is the glory of 
the New Law, and the peculiar fruit of the 
mission of the Paraclete on earth. From 
it results the communication of the divine 
nature according to the words of the Apostle 
(2 Peter 1,4). “This dwelling of the Spirit 
in our souls, ” says Cardinal Franzelin, “is 
such that, as a divine Person, He makes an 
abode with us as a lover in the loved and 
loving; as the protector and giver of all 
spiritual gifts ; as the Spirit of adoption in 
the sons of God ; as the cause and fountain 
of the supernatural life; as the seal and 
earnest of the promised full and beatific 
possession of God; as God in a rational 
temple consecrated to Himself, according 
to the whole nature of man . 7 7 This presence 
of the eternal Spirit is distinct from His 
gifts, as He is a divine Person in Himself, 
and as the author is distinguished from the 
effects he produces. This indwelling of God 
in His creatures does not, then, simply 
signify His presence, but a special relation 
and union of the divine being with the 
creature. 


236 


Come , Holy Ghost 

The end for which the blessed Spirit 
abides in us is to give and sustain in us the 
supernatural life. His coming gives that 
life which will endure as long as He remains 
in us. The new birth is the first fruit of His 
union with the soul; and the kingdom of 
heaven is opened, that the new man may 
enter in and “be renewed unto knowledge 
according to the image of Him that created 
him.” “The seal of the Holy Spirit of 
promise is the pledge of our inheritance,” 
and in His safe keeping we put on immor- 
tality, and the image of the earthly gives 
place to the heavenly as long as we grieve 
not this divine Guest, “by whom we are 
sealed unto the day of redemption.” As 
the gifts of the natural order are contained 
in the natural life as their principle ; so all 
the greater glories of the new and super- 
natural life are contained in the presence 
and personal action of the Holy Ghost. 
“We are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, 
if the Spirit of God dwells in us.” 


0 Holy Ghost, Spirit of the Father and 
the Son, let the might of Thy love be more 
and more felt in the hearts of men. Let 
Thy light shine more and more on souls 
that are wandering in the darkness far away 


237 


Come , Holy Ghost . 


from God. Turn them to the light-giving 
Heart of Jesus and to the healing streams 
of His Precious Blood. Strengthen the 
souls that love Thee. Perfect in them Thy 
seven gifts and Thy twelve fruits; and so 
make them Thy temples here that Thou 
mayest be adored in them forever. Amen. 



LIX. 

The Same, Continued. 

Put on the new man, who, according 
to God, is created in justice and holi- 
ness of truth. Ephes. 4 : 24. 

Mgr. Preston further illustrates the opera- 
tion of the Holy Spirit in the soul, in the 
following words : — 

By grace man is elevated to an order not 
angelical but divine, and made the consort 
and partaker of the divinity; for greater 
participation than this there cannot be. 
This partaking of the divine nature is not 
only accidentally by sanctifying grace, but 
even substantially by the communication of 
that nature in the adoption of sons and 
heirs. In this adoption the just are, in the 
language of the Fathers, deified. The 
blessed Spirit, by charity and grace, formally 
justifies us, dwells in us, vivifies and adopts 
us. Inherent justice is not a simple quality, 
it embraces many things : the remission of 
sin, faith, hope, charity, and other gifts, 
( 238 ) 


239 


Come, Holy Ghost . 

and the Holy Ghost Himself, the author of 
all good. For in our justification not only 
are these great gifts communicated to us, 
but the very Person of the eternal Spirit is 
given, and consequently the whole Deity 
and the whole Trinity. Not only objectively, 
but really and personally, the Three divine 
Persons are present in the soul of the adopted 
son. Here God dwells substantially as in 
His temple ; and here He unites Himself to 
man, and, as it were, deifies him. This is 
the great condescension of the Trinity, as it 
is our unequalled dignity. “Recognize, O 
Christian, ” says St. Leo, “thy dignity ; and, 
made the partaker of the divine nature, 
return not to the vileness from which thou 
wast redeemed. Remember of whom thou 
art a member, that Christ is thy head, and 
that thou art joined to His body.” “What 
greater honor,” adds St. Augustine, “can 
the adopted receive than to be where He is, 
who unites Himself to the loved, not the 
equal of His divinity, but associated to His 
eternity.” Thus, in the fervent language 
of St. Bernard, the soul cries out: “What 
have I in heaven, and what besides Thee do 
I desire on earth? My flesh and my heart 
fail; Thou art the God of my heart, and my 
portion for ever. Not bliss, nor glory, nor 
any gift which is not God, can satisfy the 


240 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

loving soul. He is its supreme rest and 
desire. Its constant prayer is that the King 
may open His chamber, and to His repose 
prepare the way, that in Him and with Him 
it may find felicity. Hence, with open face 
looking with all its powers upon the glory 
of the celestial Spouse, it is transformed in- 
to the same image, from glory to glory, as 
by the Spirit of the Lord. There shall it 
one day deserve to hear the glad accents of 
the Beloved: Thou art all fair, my love, and 
there is no spot in thee. It shall hear, and 
in its transport dare to cry out : My Beloved 
to me, and I to Him. In this most blessed 
embrace, where heart answers to heart, the 
divine to the human, shall the glorified 
child of God delight itself with its Spouse. ” 
From the real participation of the Holy 
Spirit come the glorification of the redeemed, 
and the bliss of heaven. The glorification 
of the just is the end of all their hopes and 
desires. It is supreme beatitude in the pos- 
session of God. Here on earth, through 
the Spirit, and in the humanity of the Word, 
God is possessed and enjoyed. In this pos- 
session, according to our state, is the felicity 
of the redeemed ; even while they are on the 
way to their true home. The light grows 
brighter as creatures lose their attraction 
and earth recedes day by day in the distance. 


241 


Come ) Holy Ghost . 

In the process of sanctification the nearness 
of God becomes more real, and the power 
of His presence stronger. He becomes more 
fully our possession as we seek Him more 
purely, and correspond with His grace. 


O God, who by the light of the Holy 
Ghost didst instruct the hearts of the faith- 
ful; grant us in the same Spirit to relish 
that which is right, and ever to rejoice in 
His consolation, Through our Lord Jesus 
Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee 
in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, 
world without end. Amen. 


LX. 

The Guidance of the Holy Ghost. 

The path of the just, as a shining 
light, groweth brighter and brighter 
unto perfect day. Prov. 4: 18. 

I need make no apology for drawing still 
further from the rich fountain of Dr. Pres- 
ton’s Divine Paraclete , which unfortunately 
is not so well known as it should be. Trac- 
ing the completion of the work of the Holy 
Spirit in the soul, he says: — ’ 

The indwelling Holy Ghost steadily guides 
us onward to the end. With divine patience 
and all-healing tenderness He leads us 
to the home of our sanctified nature, where 
our possession shall reveal itself in all its 
immensity, and God shall indeed, above 
every chance, be all in all. This is our 
supreme beatitude. There is nothing more 
to be desired when God is fully ours. There 
shall be a fullness of all good, and a bliss so 
perfect that the soul shall overflow with un- 
speakable joy. He is our first beginning, 
as well as last end; so in Him alone, and in 
the possession of Him, can we find full 
felicity. 


( 242 ) 


243 


Come , Roly Ghost. 

Thought fails us here, and language stag- 
gers in the sight of Him whom we are to 
know and enjoy. “Eye hath not seen, nor 
ear heard, neither hath it entered into the 
heart of man, what things God hath pre- 
pared for them that love Him.” In heaven, 
the true home of the justified, we shall, 
through the Spirit, find the full beatitude 
and glorification of body and soul. We 
have reached the supreme beatitude when 
we have become like our God, and, being 
truly in Him, possess Him for ever. This 
is the end of the whole work of the divine 
Paraclete. From our low estate, from even 
the misery of our sins, He brings us back to 
the bosom of God, and there, under His 
protecting wings, wearing the likeness of 
the humanity of the Word, we repose upon 
the Sacred Heart. There is to be an eternity 
in God ; and endless age in full union with 
Him, and daily increasing knowledge of the 
infinite Fountain of life, light and bliss, the 
Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. How 
can the intellect, in its most masterful 
struggles, rise up to the comprehension of 
such a felicity as this, where the rich full- 
ness of the Deity is our everlasting posses- 
sion? Oh, how swiftly the angels move 
round this sea of light, filled with ecstatic 
joy How in mute adoration bow down the 


244 


Come , Roly Ghost . 

cherubim and seraphim, all unable, in their 
exalted intelligences, to speak of the glory 
which thrills their whole spiritual being. 
Yet amid the consuming fire of the throne 
is not the form of an angel, nor the bright- 
ness of a seraph. There, seated by the 
Ancient of days, on the Father’s right hand, 
with the strong wings of the Spirit stretched 
above Him, is the form of man, the human- 
ity formed by the Holy Ghost from Mary’s 
flesh, — the Word incarnate. 

Then the rushing mighty wind of the 
Spirit shall awake the song of glory, and 
from the temple of the divine humanity 
ascend the swelling chorus of praise. The 
Bride shall answer to her heavenly Bride- 
groom, when He shall press her to His 
breast in the long embrace of eternity: 
“How wondrous is Thy grace, how unspeak- 
able Thy love, my Eng and my Spouse. 
This is indeed true life, for now I have 
found my God. I possess Him ; He is mine. 
O glad hour of the heavenly nuptials. This 
is the blessed union for which my spirit hath 
longed. Time is no more ; the endless life 
of God is mine. I shall spend my eternity 
in His arms. He shall spend His eternity 
in me. In the bosom of Mary’s Child I 
shall rest, and in the strength of the divine 
Paraclete find my home in the living embrace 


245 


Come , Holy Ghost. 


of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. ” 
Behold the work of grace. Earth reaches 
heaven, and man is one with God. 

“The Spirit and the Bride say, Come. 
And he that heareth, let him say, Come. 
And he that thirsteth, let him come. And 
he that will, let him come and take the 
water of life freely. ” 


0 God, to whom every heart is open, and 
every will speaketh ; from whom no secret 
can be hid: purify the thoughts of our 
hearts, by the infusion of the Holy Spirit, 
that we may deserve to love Thee perfectly, 
and worthily to praise Thy name for ever 
and ever. Amen. 



LXI. 


Obedience to Divine Inspiration. 

O the depth of the riches of the 
wisdom and of the knowledge of 
God ! Rom. 11: 33. 

Who can write of the fire of the Holy 
Spirit like St. Francis of Sales, from whose 
treatise on The Love of God , the following 
words are taken : — 

The Holy Ghost, who resides in our hearts 
by charity, desires to render ns docile to 
His divine inspirations, and obedient to the 
laws of His holy love, the observance of 
which constitutes onr supernatural felicity 
in this life ; and for this end, He also affords 
helps proportioned to the happiness to which 
we aspire, corresponding to the natural 
helps, temperance, justice, strength, pru- 
dence, knowledge, understanding and wis- 
dom, and equally numerous. These are the 
holy dispositions of the soul, called by the 
Scriptures and theologians the gifts of the 
Holy Ghost. 


( 246 ) 


247 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

These gifts are not only inseparable from 
charity, they may be called its peculiar pro- 
perties. The gift of wisdom is nothing 
more than love, which has discovered by 
experience how sweet the Lord is. Under- 
standing is a love which attentively con- 
siders the truths of faith, to penetrate the 
depth of their sweetness, and to fathom the 
abyss of the Divinity, descending afterward 
from the knowledge of the Creator to that 
of His creatures. The gift of science is a 
love by which we apply the knowledge of 
ourselves and creatures, as conducive to that 
of the Almighty, and tending to impart a 
correct idea of the homage due to Him, by 
the consideration of His essential perfec- 
tion, and our extreme misery. The gift of 
counsel is a species of love, by which we 
vigilantly seek the best means of serving 
God perfectly. The gift of fortitude is also 
the strength, which love communicates, for 
the execution of whatever has been sug- 
gested by the gift of counsel. Piety is like- 
wise love, which alleviates suffering and 
labor, by inspiring a filial affection, and 
pleasure in performing such actions as are 
pleasing to our Heavenly Father. In fine, 
the gift of fear is evidently love, since it 
urges us to avoid all that is displeasing to 
God. 


248 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

Charity, with the seven gifts it includes, 
may be compared to a beautiful lily ; the six 
leaves of which this flower is composed, 
which are whiter than the purest snow, 
represent the six gifts ; the little tuft which 
grows in the heart of the lily, consisting of 
three petals, is a figure of the gift of wisdom, 
which proceeds from the heart as a fruitful 
source of spiritual happiness, produced by 
the consideration of the goodness of the 
Eternal Father, and the mercy of our divine 
Eedeemer, and the love of the Spirit of 
sanctity, — three inexhaustible sources, 
which spring from the gift of wisdom, 
crowned by charity. 


With all my heart, I give and consecrate 
myself entirely to my God ; my memory and 
my actions, to God the Father; my under- 
standing and my words, to God the Son ; 
my will and my thoughts, to God the Holy 
Ghost; my heart, my person, my tongue, 
my senses, and my sufferings, to the most 
sacred humanity of Jesus Christ. Amen. 


LXII. 

The Fruits oi the Spirit. 

They brought forth fruit, some a 
hundred fold, some sixty fold, and 
some thirty fold. 

St. Mark 13, 8. 

St. Francis, continuing, begins this so* 
lection with a very appropriate text, and 
says: — 

The fruit of the Spirit,” says St. Paul, 
“is charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, 
goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, 
continency, chastity.” (Gallatians 5, 22, 
23.) We must observe that the Apostle at 
first mentions only one fruit of the Holy 
Ghost, though he afterward enumerates 
twelve. He speaks in the singular number, 
saying, the fruit of the Holy Ghost is char- 
ity, joy, etc. Let us endeavor to penetrate 
the mystery contained in this method of 
speaking. The Holy Ghost enters our soul 
when we are converted from iniquity to 
rightuousness, and diffuses charity in our 
hearts ; this is the fruit of the Spirit of which 
the Apostle speaks. This fruit possesses an 
(249) 


250 Come , Holy Ghost . 

infinite number of excellent properties; 
therefore, the Apostle in enumerating them, 
speaks of them as different fruits, to dis- 
tinguish them more clearly, but he reduces 
all these different properties to unity, by at- 
tributing them to one fruit; he thereby 
shows that this fruit, though multiplied in 
its properties, is one in its substance. The 
meaning of the words of the great Apostle 
is, that the fruit of the Spirit is charity, 
which is joyful, peaceable, patient, be- 
nignant, indulgent, long-suffering, gentle, 
faithful, moderate, continent and chaste. 
Charity is, then, called a fruit, from its 
sweetness and attractive qualities; it is a 
fruit of paradise, culled from the tree of 
life, — that is, proceeding from the Holy 
Ghost, who animates the soul, and deigns 
to repose therein. 

If not satisfied with rejoicing in the pos- 
session of holy dilection, we esteem it so 
much as to consider it our crown of glory, 
— as to make it the object of our highest 
ambition ; it then replenishes all our desires, 
not only by securing us eternal bliss, but 
likewise by rendering us happy, even in this 
life, — procuring us inexpressible peace. 
This peace is of such a nature that neither 
tribulation nor persecution can ruffle its 
serenity; it is so far elevated above the 


251 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

reach of earthly events, that no created ob- 
ject can disturb it; indigence cannot im- 
poverish it ; contempt is its glory, tears are 
its joy, and the unjust frowns of the world 
its strength. Its influence is never more 
perfectly felt, by those who posses it than 
when they are forsaken by all the world ; it 
discovers to them ineffable delights and con- 
solations amidst their sufferings and humili- 
ations, and leads them to compassionate the 
miserable by whom they are surrounded; 
their happiness is to renounce the pleasures 
of the senses, to acquire and preserve purity 
of heart. 

These truths prove that holy dilection is 
at once a virtue, a fruit, a gift and a beati- 
tude. As a virtue , it leads us to obey the 
inspirations which the Almighty gives us, 
by means of His commandments and coun- 
sels ; the practice of which includes that of 
all virtues, whence we may conclude that 
charity is the virtue of virtues. As a gift , 
it renders us docile to interior inspirations, 
which may be considered the command- 
ments and counsels addressed by God to 
each individual, whose execution is facili- 
tated by the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost ; 
whence it follows that holy dilection (love) 
is the gift of gifts. As a fruit , it is the 
source of the delights and consolations, 


252 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

which the twelve fruits of the Holy Ghost 
discover to us in the exercises of a perfect 
life ; consequently, it may be called the fruit 
of the fruits of the Spirit. As a beatitude , 
it leads us to consider insults, calumnies, 
affronts and ignominy as a peculiar favor 
and privilege. 

Charity has justly been compared to a 
pomegranate. As the latter derives its pro- 
perties from the tree by which it is produced, 
charity receives its excellent qualities from 
the Holy G-liost, who is the tree of life. 


May the power of the Holy Grhost be ever 
with us, we beseech Thee, O God; and may 
He in His mercy cleanse our hearts and 
save us from all dangers ; through our Lord 
Jesus Christ, who with Thee and the same 
Holy Grhost liveth and reigneth, one God, 
world without end. Amen. 


LXIII. 

Hymn to the Holy Ghost. 

Singing and making melody in 
your hearts to God. Eph. 5: 19. 

The subjoined “Hymn to the Holy 
Ghost,” closes St. Alphonsus’ volume on 
the Blessed Eucharist : — 

Be gone, ye vain hopes, ye attachments 
of earth ; 

Give your joys to such souls as no 
higher can soar ; 

Always far away from my memory begone, 
For I seek you no longer, esteem you 
no more ; 

0 God of my heart, make me love Thee 

alone. 

Adieu, every creature; I leave you with 

joy; 

I no longer am yours — nay, I am not 
my own : 

1 belong but to God, from all else I am 

free ; 

I am Thine, dearest Jesus, — all Thine, — 
Thine alone. 

My best-beloved good, let me cling but to 
Thee. 

( 253 ) 


254 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

0 amiable Lord, let Thy sweet, holy love 
Now possess my whole being and reign 
over me ; 

Let Thy love in my heart every passion 
restrain ; 

In that heart which was once so rebelli- 
ous to Thee, 

O amiable Lord, come, establish Thy reign. 

0 heavenly dew, that so sweetly dost fall, 
Of passions unholy Thou calmest the 
glow; 

Ah, make me forever enamour’d of Thee, 
And live to seek only my God here 
below. 

O heavenly dew, descend gently on me. 

0 fire all divine, who with heavenly flames 
Dost those souls where Thou glowest 
make holy and blest, 

Come Thou to my heart, make it worthy 
to burn 

With Thy holiest ardors ; inflame Thou 
my breast ; 

O fire all divine, for Thy ardors I yearn. 

O infinite love, Ah, how blessed is he 
Who beholds Thy sweet face there in 
heaven above, 

Oh, when shall I, too, come Thy sweet 
face to see, 


Come , Holy Ghost . 


255 


And enjoy Thee forever in transports 
of love. 

0 infinite love, haste to draw me to Thee. 


Assist ns, O Lord, we beseech Thee, with 
the power of Thy Holy Spirit, that our 
hearts may be purified according to Thy 
mercy, and we may be defended from all 
adversities. Amen. 



LXIV. 

The Path of True Wisdom. 


Whosoever are led by the Spirit 
of God, they are the sons of God. 

Rom. 8, 14. 

Cardinal Manning, summing up his ob- 
servation on the seven gifts of the Holy 
Ghost, in his Internal Mission of the Holy 
Ghost , — says, at the close of his remarks on 
the gift of wisdom, — which he places last: — 
I will not stay to sum up ; but I will remind 
you of the path by which we have come 
upward to this gift of wisdom. We began 
by considering the working of the Holy 
Grhost in the soul, the nature of grace, which 
is the indwelling -and action of the Holy 
Grhost in the heart by the gift of our regen- 
eration, whereby we are made the sons of 
God and receive His sanctifying grace. We 
went on to the theological virtues of faith, 
of hope and of charity ; we then saw the 
sovereign grace of justification-, and after 
the grace of justification we came to the 
glory of sonship, and then to the seven gifts. 
We have tried to understand the nature of 
( 256 ) 


257 


Come, Holy Ghost . 

these seven gifts ; and how they are distinct 
from the virtues and graces implanted in 
baptism. We have gone over those seven 
gifts one by one, and we have seen that the 
gift of holy fear is the gift of the children 
of God, and the gift of piety is the gift of 
the sons of God, and the gift of fortitude is 
the gift of the soldiers of Jesus Christ, and 
the gift of science is the gift of the disciples 
of the Holy Ghost, and the gift of counsel 
is the gift of the pastors of the flock, and 
the gift of intellect is the gift of the doctors 
of the Church, and the gift of wisdom is 
the gift of the saints, among whom are 
numbered little children, and all who are 
faithful to the Spirit of God. There remain 
only two other subjects. I have tried to 
describe the work of the Spirit of God in 
the soul, —which is like the growth of a tree 
from its root. We have reached at last the 
fullness of its stature and its spread, the 
symetry of the Tree of Life, with its out- 
reaching branches. I said before that wis- 
dom is the blossom, — I did not say the 
fruit, and for this reason : the Holy Ghost, 
writing by the Apostle, in the fifth chapter 
of the Epistle to the Galatians, speaks of 
the fruits of the Holy Ghost, and numbers 
them as twelve. Afterward come the Eight 
Beatitudes, which are the eight perfections 


258 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

of the soul of man in its highest and most 
intimate conformity with the mind and life 
of Jesus Christ. I name them now in order 
to show you how the subject of the seven 
gifts has its complement and its perfection 
in the Twelve Fruits and the Eight Beati- 
tudes. 

My object throughout has been to waken 
you and to warn you against subsiding into 
your natural character, and to stir you up, 
if by God’s help I can, to aim at a super- 
natural life and supernatural perfection. It 
has also been my aim, if possible, to make 
clear the distinction between a unspiritual 
man, in whom the gifts of the Holy Ghost 
are oppressed, and the spiritual man, who 
is under the guidance and light of the Holy 
Ghost. But all that I have tried to say may 
be summed up in these words of St. Paul: 

4 4 There is now, therefore, no condemnation 
to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk 
not according to the flesh. For the law of 
the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made 
me free from the law of sin and death. For 
what the law could not do, in that it was 
weak through the flesh, God, sending His 
Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, hath con- 
demned sin in the flesh, that the justifica- 
tion of the law might be fulfilled in us, who 
walk not according to the flesh, but ac- 


259 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

cording to the spirit. For they that are 
according to the flesh mind the things that 
are of the flesh ; but they that are according 
to the spirit mind the things that are 
of the spirit. For the wisdom of the 
flesh is death ; but the wisdom of the spirit 
is life and peace. Because the wisdom of 
the flesh is an enemy of God ; for it is not 
subject to the law of God, neither can it be. 
And they who are in the flesh cannot please 
God. But you are not in the flesh, but in 
spirit, if the Spirit of God dwell in you.” 
(Rom., Chapter 8.) 


Come, O blessed Spirit of Wisdom, and 
reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly 
things, their exceeding greatness, and 
power, and beauty. Teach me to love them 
above and beyond all the passing joys and 
satisfactions of earth. Show me the way 
by which I may be able to attain to them, 
and possess them, and hold them hereafter, 
mine own forever. Amen. 



LXV. 

The Quickening Spirit. 

The Spirit Himself giveth testi- 
mony to our spirit, that we are the 
sons of God. And if sons, heirs 
also; heirs indeed of God, and 
joint heirs with Christ. 

Romans 8: 16, 17. 

Continuing the same subject our author 
remarks: — 

The same energy which fashioned the 
humanity of the second Adam, fashions 
also ours by the touch of “the quickening 
Spirit. ” If the work of the Third Person 
of the holy Trinity was glorious in the first 
creation, much more wonderful is His opera- 
tion in the new, where the world of grace 
opens before us with all its treasures. He 
unites us to the humanity of our Redeemer, 
and consoles us with the knowledge of all 
He did and taught. He is the Comforter 
under whose reign of mercy we live. He 
that rejects Him shall find no comfort. He 
that grieves Him shall be eternally lost. 

( 260 ) 


261 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

Two important lessons are to be learned 
from this brief view of the person and work 
of the divine Spirit. 

The more we know of the greatness of 
Grod in Himself, the more wonderful seems 
His condescension. Who are we that the 
Three Persons of the Grodhead should occupy 
themselves with our salvation ? The creature 
is low enough by nature in comparison with 
his Creator. What is he then before the 
eyes of the infinite Majesty, when by sin he 
has degraded his nature and made it im- 
pure? Yet upon him seems to drop the 
whole mercy of the Creator. Passing by 
fallen angels for whom no redemption was 
offered, the outer life of the eternal Three 
seems to be spent upon our recovery. The 
Father plans in His great heart the scheme 
of salvation; the Son comes joyfully to the 
Virgin’s womb and the cross; and the Holy 
Spirit refuses not to move with pitying love 
and unwonted energy upon the waste, where 
a greater than primeval darkness rests upon 
the face of the deep. 

Lastly, while we rejoice in the presence 
and comfort of the Paraclete, and know that 
He is our all-abiding strength, how should 
we fear before Him and tremble lest we 
grieve Him. He is a consuming fire to burn 
away our dross and to lighten our darkness 


262 Come, Holy Ghost. 

with the searching beams of divinity. He 
is ours in thought and deed, according to 
our wish. As much as we ask He will give, 
and even beyond all our hopes He will re- 
spond to our desires. Yet do we realize 
that it is God who is within us, that we are 
His temples, that it is He who speaks to us 
in times of trials, sorrow or joy? How 
happy are we to bear our Paraclete within 
us, and how sacred is the heart where He 
dwells. Lifted up above the storms of 
earth, far from its confusing strife, is the 
home where the Spirit of the Father and the 
Son abides. This is the Love of the Holy 
Trinity, and he that dwelleth in love, dwel- 
leth in God, and God in him. We cannot 
dwell in love unless our souls, in will and 
affection, are one with God. Let us cry 
earnestly to the quickening Spirit by whose 
life we live. He will help us to realize our 
consecration to the Father, the Son and the 
Holy Ghost. On the wings of the Spirit we 
are borne to the bosom of the Son, and in 
His human arms we are presented to the 
Father. God bears us to God. “The 
Spirit,” says St. Paul, “helpeth our infirm- 
ity ; for we know not what we should pray 
for as we ought; but the Spirit Himself 
asketh for us with unspeakable groanings. 
He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what 


263 


Come , Holy Ghost. 


the Spirit desireth, because He asketh for 
the saints according to God. And we know 
that to them that love God, all things work 
together unto good, to such as are called to 
be saints.” 


O Holy Ghost, living God, dwell in me, 
and let the sunshine of Thy love ripen Thy 
fruits in my soul. May I grow in love, joy 
and peace; patience, kindness, and good- 
ness ; long-suffering, mildness and faith ; in 
modesty, continence and chastity. Help me 
to crucify the flesh with its vices and de- 
sires. Let me not fail in doing good, that 
in due time I may reap. Make we poor in 
spirit, that mine may be the kingdom of 
heaven. Amen. 



LXYI. 

The Influence of the Holy Ghost on the 
Sacramental System of the Church. 

Unless a man be born again of 
water and the Holy Ghost, he can- 
not enter into the kingdom of 
God. St. John 3, 5. 

To draw still further from the Divine 
Paraclete of Dr. Preston, we find the follow- 
ing on the influence of the Holy Spirit on 
the sacramental system of the Church : — 

A brief glance at the sacramental system 
plainly taught in Holy Scripture will clearly 
set before us the manner in which the Holy 
Spirit imparts His life, and makes holy the 
body which, partaking of his attributes, 
demonstrates to the world, to angels and to 
men, the truth of his salvation. 

1. The sacrament of Baptism is the first 
touch of the Holy Grhost, whereby He takes 
the fallen child of Adam and admits him to 
union with the body of Christ, and so with 
the life-giving humanity of the second 
Adam. “In one Spirit, ” says St. Paul, 
“were we all baptized into one body;” and 
by this baptism we are made “The body of 
Christ and members of member,” as the 
( 264 ) 


265 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

same apostle writes to the Corinthians. So 
the same apostle tells us there is and can be 
but one baptism, as there is one Lord, one 
body, one. Spirit. The Church is the cor- 
porate body of the baptized, who make a 
unity far above all human unities, by reason 
of the action of the Spirit. This still more 
appears by the union which baptism gives 
to the sacred humanity of Jesus Christ. 
“As many of you as have been baptized in 
Christ have put on Christ, and are all one 
in Him. 7 ’ (Gal. 3, 27,28.) This union is 
life-giving of necessity, since the flesh of 
Christ is the life of the world, “and hath life 
in itself. ” “We are buried together with 
Him by baptism unto death, that as He is 
risen from the dead by the glory of the 
Father, so we also may walk in newness of 
life.” 

As the old creation presents us the waters 
of chaos in their darkness, with the “Spirit 
of God moving over the face of the deep,” 
so the new creation brings before our faith 
the waters of baptism filled with the quick- 
ening energy of the same Holy Ghost. The 
fruit of the first action of the Spirit was the 
material earth, with the race of man in 
form and soul like unto the eternal Trinity. 
The fruit of the second and mightier action, 
in the deeper darkness of rebel intelligence 


266 


Come , Ghost. 

and disordered wills, is the opening of a 
new heaven and a new earth, and the birth 
of a regenerated manhood, in which appears 
the face of the Word incarnate, the Child 
of Mary, the unfallen Adam, the Lord of 
heaven. 

The life thus imparted by regeneration is 
for eternity ; and no power but the will of 
the new-born can quench or destroy its 
eternal vigor. It is fed by the streams 
which run eternally from the sacred Human- 
ity, and which are applied by the Holy 
Grhost, who in the Church is continually 
“ Taking the things of Christ” and making 
them ours. 

In Confirmation the Spirit comes with His 
seven-fold gifts to strengthen the new crea- 
ture in his supernatural life, and to illumine 
his path with “the seven lamps which burn 
ever before the throne . 7 7 In this sacrament, 
as in Baptism, the mighty G-od who acts, 
imprints an everlasting character upon the 
soul. It is a touch of the Spirit which can 
never be effaced. 

In Penance , the Paraclete leads the re- 
pentant soul to the very feet of the crucified 
Humanity, and by His uncreated hands 
applies the healing Blood of the cross. 
Thus, life lost or weakened is restored from 
the same source ; and the Blood testifies to 


267 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

the union of the humanity with the divinity 
in the person of the Son of God. The 
stream which flows from the veins of a di- 
vine Man hath power to cleanse every stain ; 
and there is no other fountain for un- 
cleaness. By the Holy Ghost is this power 
in the Church. For the Word breathed on 
his priesthood, and said: “Receive ye the 
Holy Ghost: whose sins you shall forgive 
they are forgiven them. 77 

So Christian marriage is made holy, and 
the disorder of our fallen race healed, at the 
fountain whence spring the family and all 
sacred human ties. It is even the type of 
the union between the Church and our 
Lord. In a certain sense “the husband is 
the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of 
the Church. This is a great sacrament. 7 1 


O Holy Ghost, secretly and silently doest 
Thou work in the heart. With the Father 
and the Son Thou dost come to us and 
make Thy abode with us. Help me to love 
Jesus, that there may be always this abiding 
of God in my soul. Turn the wilderness of 
my soul into pools of water, and the dry 
land of my spirit into springing wells. 
Great above the heavens is Thy mercy. 
Strengthen my soul by the Word of the 
Lord, for Thou art the Spirit of His mouth. 
Amen. 


LXVII. 

The Same, Continued. 

Going, therefore, teach ye all 
nations, baptizing them in the 
name of the Father, and of the Son 
and of the Holy Ghost : teaching 
them to observe all things what- 
soever I have commanded you; and 
behold I am with you all days 
even to the consummation of the 
world. St. Matt. 28, 19, 20. 

Continuing his remarks on the sacra- 
ments, Dr. Preston consoles us with the 
thought that when the battle of life ap- 
proaches its end, and the child of the new 
creation comes to the supreme moment 
when to the omniscient J udge he must ren- 
der account of all his pilgrimage, and ans- 
wer for the gifts of the Holy Ghost ; then 
the same loving hand which “sealed him on 
the day of redemption” will meet him with 
power once more. At the sight of the sav- 
ing cross the enemies of darkness flee away. 
Upon the chill waters of death the living 
Spirit moves ; and the marks of grace are 
renewed upon all the senses, that they may 
awake in the world of realities, and with 
( 268 ) 


269 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

supernal vigor enter upon the true life of 
the just. The body is laid, indeed, in the 
dust ; but it is sealed by the Holy Ghost for 
a blessed resurrection. “He,” says St. 
Paul, “who raised up Jesus Christ from the 
dead shall quicken also your mortal bodies, 
because of His Spirit that dwelleth in you.” 

In the sacrarhent of Holy Orders the Holy 
Ghost makes perpetual the priesthood, 
which is His instrument in the cummuni- 
cation of sanctifying grace. The breath of 
the Man-God which poured out the Spirit 
upon the Apostles, descends with the same 
power whereever that commission extends. 
Else would the priesthood fail, and with it 
the gospel of salvation. In all days, then, 
must be found, in its mission on earth, the 
apostolic priesthood; Peter, whose faith 
never falters, and the bishops appointed to 
rule the flock of Christ, who succeed by the 
laying on of hands, and live by the same 
breath as that which gave power to the 
Apostles. Generation after generation pas- 
ses away, but the truth of God abides ; and 
anointed hands are stretched out to the 
weak and wandering, to bring them home 
where light and peace are unfailing. This 
is the priesthood which is made, not like 
that of the Old Law, according to carnal 
commandments, but according to the power 
of indissoluble life. (Heb. 7, 16.) 


270 


Come y Holy Ghost . 

There is still another fountain of the 
Church’s sanctity, adds our author, and it 
is the nearest and dearest of all. It is the 
very fullness of the Spirit’s power. It is 
all that Grod can do. There is a Sacrament 
which not only conveys grace, but the 
Author of grace Himself; which not only 
unites the children of the fallen Adam to 
the living humanity of the Word made flesh, 
but gives that very humanity to be our 
food. Here the spiritual life of the Church 
is nourished by the flesh of its Head and 
Redeemer. Can there be created holiness 
more wonderful than this? It is the merci- 
ful plan of Grod to feed the new-born with 
this Living Bread, of which the manna from 
heaven was only a type. “I am the bread 
of life,” said our Lord. “I am the living 
bread which came down from heaven. This 
bread is My flesh which I will give for the 
life of the world. Except you eat the flesh 
of the Son of Man and drink His blood, 
you will not have life in you. He that 
eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood 
hath everlasting life. As the living Father 
hath sent Me, and I live by the Father, so 
he that eateth Me, the same shall live by 
Me.” 

Here are the sources of life, the Victim 
of the sacrifice which takes away all sin, 


271 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

and the body which hallows and makes im- 
mortal him that feeds upon it. Here is the 
sacrament in which the mightiest power of 
the Holy Ghost is shown, where the cre- 
ating words of the God-Man, spoken by 
His priests in the power of the Spirit, 
change the bread and wine into the body 
and blood of Jesus Christ. This is the 
divine right which the Lord commanded to 
be perpetually celebrated in ' memory of 
Himself; the meaning of which the Apostle 
of the Gentiles received from His glorified 
mouth: “The chalice of benediction which 
we bless, is it not the communion of the 
Blood of Christ? and the Bread which we 
break, is it not partaking of the Body of 
the Lord? 7 ’ Over this great sacrifice the 
Holy Ghost presides, even as by His energy 
the sacred Humanity was first conceived in 
the womb of the Virgin. His outstretched 
wings are above the altar, even as they ap- 
peared at the baptism of Jordan. There is 
no more wonderful prayer than this which 
He inspires and answers: “Come, 0 al- 
mighty and eternal God, the sanctifier, and 
bless this sacrifice prepared for Thy holy 
name.” 

In this view of the work of the Holy 
Spirit in the Catholic Church we behold the 
glories of the new creation, the redemption 


272 Come , Holy Ghost. 

of our race by union to the life of Jesus 
Christ, and the temple of grace which, 
filled with God, is the home of the regen- 
erate. How blessed is the place where the 
Paraclete abides, the Spirit of all good, the 
bountiful source of all life. O Church of 
the living God, bride and spouse of Jesus 
Christ, home of the Holy Ghost, how dear 
art thou to the eternal Son. Thou art the 
love of His heart ; thou art the reward of 
His toil ; thou art made white in His blood ; 
thou art nourished by his flesh, thou art 
preparing for the coming nuptials when 
thou shalt return to the open side from 
which thou wast taken, and there abide in 
one eternal embrace. 


O most merciful Spirit, I love and adore 
Thee for Thy goodness. O most gracious 
Spirit, I praise Thee and adore Thee for 
Thy love. O Spirit of might, who dost 
break the rocks in pieces, I fear Thee and 
adore Thee for Thy strength. Thou dost 
understand all my thoughts. Thou givest 
me Thy gifts of grace in love and wisdom. 
I can do nothing of myself; but in Thee 
and with Thee I can overcome and be faith- 
ful, and walk even here with Jesus in white. 
Our Lady of the Holy Ghost, pray for us. 
Amen. 


LX VIII. 

Justification. 

But when the goodness and kind- 
ness of God our Saviour appeared, 
not by the works of justice, which 
we have done, but according to 
His mercy He saved us, by the 
laver of regeneration, and renova- 
tion of the Holy Ghost. 

Titus 3, 4, 5. 

Commenting on these words Dr. M ? Evilly 
remarks : — 

It was not in consideration of our just 
works that God saved us; for before His 
grace there was no good works, or “works 
of justice,” entitled to a reward, but it was 
out of His pure gratuitous mercy that He 
saved us, that is, bestowed on us justifi- 
cation, which places us in the way of finally 
arriving at perfect eternal salvation, and is 
itself initial salvation. The means by which 
He has bestowed on us this justification is 
through the waters of baptism externally 
poured on us, and by the grace of the 
Holy Ghost, which is attached to the rite 
( 273 ) 


274 


Come, Holy Ghost . 

of baptism, interiorly giving us a new birth, 
a new spiritual essence, making us sons of 
God, perfectly renewing us, so that we be- 
come invested with the virtues of wisdom, 
faith, etc., opposed to the former vices to 
which we were slaves. The external in- 
strumental cause of this renovation is 
baptism, the efficient cause, which is in- 
visible, and which the external operates, is 
the grace of the Holy Ghost. 

“Whom,” that is, the Holy Ghost, “whom 
God the Father hath poured forth upon us 
abundantly through Jesus Christ our 
Saviour,” in the sacraments of baptism and 
confirmation. The whole Trinity is referred 
to here, distincly contributing by an oper- 
ation peculiar to each Person to our new 
spiritual existence. The Eternal Father, 
the principle of the Divinity itself, is the 
Father of the baptized, and the principle of 
his divine existence; the Eternal Son is, 
with the Father, the principle of the effusion 
of the Holy Ghost; and the Holy Ghost, the 
Spirit of the Father and the Son, becomes 
the Spirit of the baptized, his heart and 
soul, his supernatural and divine life. 

Continuing to explain verses 7 and 8, the 
illustrious Archbishop says : — 

Justification implies remission of sin and 
the infusion of justice by sanctifying grace, 


275 


Come, Holy Ghost . 

and this holy state constitutes us the right- 
ful heirs of eternal life, which we do not yet 
actually possess, but which, like the youth- 
ful heir, during his minority, we hope one 
day to attain, and actually enjoy. St. Paul 
tells Titus to propound these truths re- 
garding justification, the inheritance of 
eternal life, etc., ascertain, undoubted doc- 
trines to his brethren, so that bearing them 
in mind they would strive to distinguish 
themselves and surpass others, not merely 
in word, but in good works and example. 
They should strive to become holy, like 
God the Father, whose sons and heirs they 
are; holy, like the Son, whose members 
they are ; and holy, like the Holy Ghost, by 
whom they live. 


Send Wisdom, O Lord, out of Thy holy 
heaven, and from the throne of Thy Ma- 
jesty, that she may be with me, and may 
labor with me, that I may know what is ac- 
ceptable with Thee. For she knoweth and 
understandeth all things, and shall lead me 
soberly in my works, and shall preserve me 
by her power. So shall my works be ac- 
ceptable. And who shall know Thy 
thought, except Thou give wisdom, and 
send Thy Holy Spirit from above. — Wisdom 
9 , 10 - 17 . 


LXIX. 

Confirmation. 

And when St. Paul imposed his 
hands on them, the Holy Ghost 
came upon them, and they spoke 
with tongues and prophesied. 

Acts 19, 6. 

This beautiful poem was written by Rev. 
John Keble of Oxford, England, whose 
summer assize sermon, “National Aposta- 
sy,” preached in 1833, was regarded by 
Cardinal Newman as the start of the re- 
ligious movement which brought somiany 
noted converts into the Church twelve to 
fifteen years later, but whose example he 
did not follow. 

Confirmation. 

The shadow of th’ Almighty’s cloud 
Calm on the tents of Israel lay, 

While drooping paused twelve banners 
proud, 

Till He arise and lead the way. 

Then to the desert breese unroll’d, 

Cheering the waving pennons fly, 

Lion or eagle — each bright fold 
A lodestar to a warrior’s eye. 

(276) 


277 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

So should Thy champions, ere the strife, 
By holy hands o’er shadow’d kneel, 

So, fearless for their charmed life, 

Bear, to the end, Thy Spirit’s seal. 

Steady and pure as stars that beam 
In middle heaven, all mist above, 

Seen deepest in the frozen streams — 

Such is their high, courageous love. 

And soft as pure, and warm as bright, 
They brood upon life’s peaceful hour, 

As if the Dove that guides their flight 
Shook from her plumes a downy shower. 

Spirit of might, and sweetness too, 

Now leading on the wars of God, 

Now to green isles of shade and dew 
Turning the waste Thy people trod ; 

Draw, Holy Ghost, Thy seven-fold veil 
Between us and the fires of youth ; 

Breathe, Holy Ghost, Thy freshening gale, 
Our fever’d brow in age to soothe. 

And oft as sin and sorrow rise, 

The hallow’d hour do Thou renew, 

When becken’d up the awful choir 

By pastoral hands, towards Thee we 
drew $ 


278 


Come , Holy Ghost . 


When trembling at the sacred rail 
We hid onr eyes and held our breath, 
Felt Thee how strong, our hearts how frail, 
And longed to own Thee to the death. 

Forever on our souls be traced 
That blessing dear, that dove-like hand, 
A sheltering rock in memory’s waste, 
Overshadowing all the weary land. 


I come to Thee, Almighty, Living One, 

In poverty of soul, O Living One, 

In sinfullness and death, O Living One, 

O make my Spirit Thine, Thou Living One, 
And be Thou mine, Thou Ever-Living One. 







The Graces of Confirmation. 

They laid their hands upon them; 
and they received the Holy Ghost. 

Acts. 8: 17. 

By baptism we died to sin and rose to 
the life of grace, — we received a new birth, 
and became new creatures; it made us 
children of God and of the Church. But 
how weak and frail is the life of an infant ; 
we must, then, grow in strength, — we must 
be fortified in this spiritual life, — we must 
become perfect men. To strengthen and 
confirm the new life which baptism has im- 
parted, is the effect of the sacrament of 
Confirmation. In it the Christian, become 
by baptism the servant of Jesus Christ, 
acquires that resolute courage which makes 
him a true soldier of this Man-God. In it 
faith, hope and charity and the other in- 
fused virtues, which were, so to speak, only 
in their infancy, receive a salutary increase 
and attain to that glorious maturity which 
form the perfect Christian. 


280 


Coyne , Holy Ghost. 

Confirmation is a sacrament which con- 
fers upon us the Holy G-host with His gifts 
and graces, to make us perfect Christians, 
and give us strength to confess openly the 
Catholic faith. Confirmation is the per- 
fection, the plenitude and consummation of 
the grace of Baptism ; that is to say, it con- 
firms, augments, and perfects the grace 
which it finds already existing in him on 
whom it is conferred, whether he has pre- 
served his innocence, or recovered it by re- 
pentance. What eagerness to receive this 
sacrament should not Christians display, 
and how careful you ought to be, Christian 
parents, to make your children receive it. 
There is question of making them grow in 
grace and of rendering them perfect in the 
sight of God ; if you fail in this duty, you 
are guilty before God. 

Let us see how the Bishop proceeds in 
administering this sacrament. In the first 
place, he extends his hands over those who 
are to be confirmed ; then he elevates his 
heart to God and invokes Him to send 
down the Holy Grhost, with His seven gifts. 
He asks for those Christians who wish to 
become perfect, the gift of wisdom , which 
makes us love the goods of eternity, 
detaches our heart from the riches of this 
world and removes us from every thing 


281 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

opposed to our last end ; the gift of under- 
standing, which makes us comprehend the 
truths of religion, so far as it is necessary for 
us to know, considering the peculiar designs 
which God has upon each of us ; the gift of 
counsel , which makes us choose whatever 
will contribute most to the glory of God 
and our salvation; the gift of fortitude, 
which gives us courage to profess our re- 
ligion openly, to trample under foot all 
human respect, to overcome temptations, 
to resist even at the peril of our lives, the 
fury of persecution ; the gift of knoivledge, 
which makes known to us the will of God 
in whatever concerns our salvation, and 
discovers to us the dangers which we must 
avoid; the gift of piety , which unites us to 
God in a peculiar manner, and makes us 
embrace whatever relates to His divine ser- 
vice; in fine, the gift of fear, which inspires 
us with a sovereign respect for God, and 
makes us shun whatever is contrary to His 
holy will. Then the bishop annoints the 
forehead of the person who is being con- 
firmed with holy Chrism in the form of a 
cross, saying at the same time these words: 
“I sign thee with sign of the cross, and 
confirm thee with the Chrism of salvation, 
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Ghost.” Finally, he gives 


282 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

him a slap on the cheek, saying to him: 
“peace be to thee.” By this the Christian 
is taught that he must henceforth be pre- 
pared to suffer all things for his divine 
Saviour, and that he must preserve his peace 
with God, with mankind and with himself, 
even amid outrages and insults which he 
ought to bear with unmurmuring patience. 

The holy Chrism which is the matter of 
this sacrament, is a mysterious composition 
of the oil of olives and balm, consecrated 
by the bishop on Holy Thursday. The oil 
of olives, signifies the grace and effusion of 
the Holy Ghost, which is abundantly com- 
municated to us in Confirmation; it also 
signifies the sweetness and power of the 
Holy Spirit. The balm, which emits a 
sweet odor, reminds the Christian, that he 
is obliged to diffuse everywhere the sweet 
odor of virtue; to be himself the good odor 
of Jesus Christ, as St. Paul says, for the 
edification of his neighbor. The unction of 
the holy Chrism is made on the forehead, 
which is the most prominent part of the 
human body, to teach the person confirmed 
a sacred duty, that of glorifying, with the 
Apostle, the cross of Jesus Christ, — the in- 
strument of our redemption. 

But, you tell me, you have received the 
sacrament of Confirmation, and have not 


283 


Come, Roly Ghost . 

experienced in your hearts these wonderful 
effects which often accompany it. Whose 
is the fault? It is yours, if you have re- 
ceived this sacrament in the state of mortal 
sin, if you have resisted the graces of the 
Holy Ghost, if you have forced Him, by 
sin, to forsake your souls. If such be the 
case, do penance, and the grace of Con- 
firmation will revive in you. 

You have received the plenitude of the 
Holy Grhost, — you have been confirmed ; be 
therefore ever grateful to God ; correspond 
with His graces and favors, that you may 
be courageous and fight like true soldiers 
against all the enemies of your eternal sal- 
vation. Never be ashamed of the gospel; 
walk in the path of virtue, and you will ob- 
tain the crown of immortality, promised to 
those who shall have fought the good fight 
of the Lord to the end. 


Be Thou praised, 0 Holy Ghost, for the 
graces which Thou hast granted us in Con- 
firmation. Thou hast not ceased to dwell 
in our heart to enlighten and direct us in 
all our conduct, to animate us with Thy 
celestial warmth, to show us the dangers 
that beset us, and aid us in avoiding them, 
to make known to us our enemies and 


284 


Come, Holy Ghost. 

help us to combat and conquer them. Yet 
O divine Spirit, it is to Thee, to Thy grace, 
to Thy assistance, and to Thy divine lights, 
that I am indebted for every blessing, and 
for every good deed I have had the hap- 
piness to perform. Amen. 


LXXI. 

Confirmation. 

Receive ye the Holy Ghost. 

St. John 20: 22. 

Speaking of the Sacrament of Confir- 
mation, in which the Christian receives the 
Holy Grhost in the fullest measure, Rev. A. 
Nampon, S, J., says in his excellent work 
Catholic Doctrine as Defined by the Council 
of Trent : — 

Confirmation is a sacrament which gives 
the Holy Spirit according to the promise 
and by the order of Jesus Christ. Let us 
see what are the advantages of this holy 
institution. The first is the promotion of 
the Christian from the rank of subject of 
Christ, to that of soldier. A second ad- 
vantage, is a more distinct knowledge of 
the divine persons, and particularly of the 
Holy Spirit. How many Christians might 
still say to us, as the disciples at Ephesus 
did of old to St. Paul: “We do not so 
much as know whether there be a Holy 
Grhost, ” if they had not been obliged to re- 
ceive special teaching, in order to prepare 
( 285 ) 


286 Come , Holy Ghost . 

for Confirmation. But teaching is not suf- 
ficient to give us a perfect understanding of 
divine things; in religion we only know 
well what practice has brought into the 
depths of our souls. Nothing makes us 
know God like prayer, or Jesus Christ like 
sacramental Communion, or the Holy 
Ghost, like the sacred annointing, which 
imparts Him to us in Confirmation. 

Thanks to this succor from on high, the 
critical age of transition from youth to 
manhood receives the armor necessary for 
withstanding the first assaults of the pas- 
sions; the gift of strength , when the combat 
begins; the gift of knowledge , when the 
mind opens to an acquaintance with things 
sacred and profane; the gift of counsel , 
when a choice has to be made of the one 
good way out of all that present themselves ; 
the gift of wisdom , when we have to discern 
and to enjoy true goods, by a supernatural 
instinct, rather than by the inspirations of 
reason. At the age at which confessing 
the faith becomes obligatory, God makes it 
easy to us. 

But undoubtedly the first and most pre- 
cious benefit of Confirmation is the gift 
which the Holy Ghost makes of Himself. 
Yes, the Spirit of God, the Spirit who pro- 
ceeds from the Father and the Son as from 


287 


Come , Ghost, 

one and the same principle, the Spirit who, 
according to the sacred books speaks by 
the prophets, works miracles, reveals the 
future, fathoms the depths of God, diffuses 
spiritual gifts according to His own will, 
the Spirit whose attributes are omniscience, 
omnipotence, supreme majesty; who works 
the sanctification of man, the resurrection 
of the body, etc., this Spirit is given to us. 
When He was shed forth on the apostles, 
He wrought by their ministry the renewal 
of the world. When the Holy Ghost is 
given to us, He comes to work similar pro- 
digies within us. He gives to the youngest 
child in our schools an understanding of 
things divine which is superior to all phi- 
losophy; He makes us believe the incom- 
prehensible, to love the absent good, sacri- 
fice the present to secure the invisible 
future; He reveals Jesus Christ to us, gives 
us to taste the sweetness of His gospel, 
makes us strong against ourselves, pure in 
a body of pollution, free under the author- 
ity of the law; He ceaseth not “to give 
testimony to our spirit that we are really 
the children of God.” 

But it is not possible that the Spirit of 
God should establish His dwelling in a well 
prepared heart, without enriching it with 
innumerable treasures. These precious 


288 


Come , Roly Ghost . 

favors, which the Holy Spirit brings us from 
heaven along with sanctifying grace, un- 
doubtedly go beyond all our power of enu- 
meration and baffle all our attemps at cal- 
culation ; still among them theologians 
have distinguished Virtues , Gifts, Fruits , 
Beatitudes. 

The Virtues are either theological or 
moral. Faith, Hope and Charity, the theo- 
logical virtues always accompany the Holy 
Spirit in the heart. The moral virtues give 
perfection either to the mind or the will of 
man. Four of them dispose the mind to 
the knowledge and love of truth: wisdom, 
understanding, knowledge, prudence; three 
dispose the will to avoid evil and to do 
good; these are justice, fortitude, temper- 
ance. 

The Gifts are supernatural habits which 
dispose the soul to practise the moral vir- 
tues, not in a common and mediocre degree, 
but in a very excellent and heroic way. As 
these virtues are seven, we must also reckon 
seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gifts of 
wisdom, understanding, knowledge and 
council assist us in practising in an excellent 
way the virtues of wisdom, understanding, 
knowledge and prudence ; and the gifts of 
of piety, fortitude and the fear of God give 
us strength for practising perfectly the vir- 
tues of justice, fortitude and temperance. 


289 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

The acts of these theological and moral 
virtues and of the supernatural beatitudes 
which we have named gifts, are called the 
Fruits of the Holy Spirit. These acts are, 
in fact, produced in us by the Holy Spirit, 
just as good fruits are by a good tree. 
The Apostle enumerates twelve of them: 
“Charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, 
goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, 
modesty, continency, chastity.” When the 
produce of these fruits is abundant and 
splendid, it is called beatitude. 

Meanwhile, however, the Spirit of God 
does not cease to act upon the hearts of 
heretics and unbelievers too in order to lead 
them into the Church. In the Acts of the 
Apostles we see Cornelius and several other 
Gentiles led as it were by the hand to 
Baptism and visibly endowed with the gifts 
of the Holy Ghost. 


Prayer After Confirmation. 

0 how can I ever sufficiently thank Thee, 
O blessed Spirit, for all Thou hast done for 
me ; and in a special manner for what Thou 
hast done for me this very day. Thou hast 
poured forth Thyself upon my whole being. 
Thou hast given Thyself to me to be a 
pledge of my eternal inheritance. Thou hast 


290 


Come , Holy Ghost . 


Thyself become the seal unto redemption. 
Thou hast replenished me with Thy seven- 
fold grace so that I may be able to practice 
eveiy virtue and become fruitful in every 
good work. Deign to accept my most sincere 
and humble thanks which I now offer to 
Thee from the very depth of my soul. 

I call upon the Blessed Virgin Mary, Thy 
Immaculate Spouse, upon all the angels 
and saints, upon all Thy faithful servants 
and upon all creatures to thank, love, adore 
and praise Thee in union with me. Amen. 



LXXII. 

The Sacrament of Confirmation. 

When Peter and John were come, 
they prayed for them that they 
might receive the Holy Ghost. 

Acts 8 : 15. 

In his discourse on Confirmation, as given 
in Repertorium Oratoris Sacri , Bishop Ehr- 
ler instructs his hearers in these words, 
among others: — 

The Paraclete was promised, not only to 
the Apostles, but to all the children of the 
Church. The Holy Ghost is imparted in 
His plenitude by the Sacrament of Con- 
firmation, which is denied by Protestants, 
and little regarded by a vast number of 
Catholics. I will speak to you to-day on 
this holy Sacrament, furnishing you with 
evidence of its being a sacrament, and ex- 
plaining to you the effects which it pro- 
duces. 

1. Confirmation is a sacrament. No one 
who is familiar with the history of the early 
Church can deny that the bishops travelled 
( 291 ) 


292 Come , Holy Ghost. 

from place to place, in order to lay their 
hands on those who had been baptized, and 
to bring down on them the Holy Ghost. 
The earliest Fathers designate this sacra- 
ment by various names: as, Confirmation, 
Imposition of hands, Sealing, Unction, 
Chrism, Mystery of the Holy Ghost. It is 
not necessary to dwell on this argument, 
since holy Scripture reveals to us this holy 
Sacrament in the clearest and most un- 
ambiguous terms ; as in Acts 8 : 14-17. 

2. The effects of Confirmation. 1. Con- 
firmation increases sanctifying grace in our 
soul. Every sacrament either confers or 
increases sanctifying grace, thus uniting us 
most intimately with Jesus Christ, the Vine, 
and elevating our soul to the highest re- 
semblance to God. 2. It gives us the Holy 
Ghost, to enable us to fight against evil and 
to grow in virtue. In baptism faith is im- 
parted to our soul ; in Confirmation we re- 
ceive grace to preserve the supernatural 
virtues. By baptism we are made Christ- 
ians ; by Confirmation we received strength 
to fulfil our duties as Christians. And in 
order that we may grow in virtue, the Holy 
Ghost pours out in our souls the sevenfold 
stream of His gifts. 3. It imprints on us, 
as soldiers of Christ, a spiritual mark, which 
can never be effaced. It is a badge by 


293 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

which we profess that we combat under the 
banner of Jesus Christ. It will increase 
our glory in heaven, or our shame in hell. 
Let us, then, renew the grace that is within 
us, frequently invoking the Holy Ghost to 
strengthen us in our faith, and in the per- 
formance of good works. 


Thanks be to Thee, 0 my God, for all 
Thy infinite goodness, and especially for 
the love Thou hast showed me at my Con- 
firmation. I give Thee thanks that Thou 
didst then send down Thy Holy Spirit into 
my soul with all His gifts and graces. O 
may He take full possession of me forever ; 
may His divine unction cause my face to 
shine ; may His heavenly Wisdom reign in 
my heart, His Understanding enlighten my 
darkness, His Counsel guide me, His For- 
titude strengthen me, His Knowledge in- 
struct me, His Piety make me fervent, His 
divine Fear keep me from all evil. Drive 
from my soul, O Lord, all that may defile 
it. Give me grace to be Thy faithful 
soldier, that having fought the good fight 
of faith, I may be brought to the crown 
of everlasting life, through the merits of 
Thy dearly beloved Son, our Saviour, Jesus 
Christ. Amen. 


LXXIII. 

The Character Imprinted on the Soul in 
Baptism , Confirmation and Holy Orders. 

The God of hope fill you with 
all joy in believing, that you may 
abound in hope and in the power 
of the Holy Ghost. 

Rom. 15. 13. 

Speaking of the character imprinted on 
the soul by certain of the sacraments, Car- 
dinal Manning, in his Eternal Priesthood , 
giving the teaching of St. Thomas, says: — 
The character we receive is impressed, 
not on the essence , but on the powers of the 
soul, — that is, on the intellectual or the 
affective powers, — and is either passive or 
active. The character of Baptism is a 
passive power for the reception of all the 
other sacraments, and for conformity as 
sons to the Son of Giod. The character of 
Confirmation is an active power for the 
public witness of the faith, and for the life 
of action and of patience as good soldier of 
Christ. The character of Ordination is an 
active power for the exercise and ministry 
of divine worship. The sacerdotal charac- 
ter, therefore, is a participation of the 
( 294 ; 


295 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

Priesthood of Christ and the closest con- 
figuration to Him in His office of mediator. 
Finally, this character is the cause and 
source of sacrametal grace, proper to each 
of the three sacraments which impress it, 
and commensurate to their ends and ob- 
ligations. This word ‘ ‘character” means 
the precise outline of an engraving, as on a 
seal, and the impression of it signifies that 
a mark or reproduction of the same outline, 
as by a signet, is left upon the soul. This 
is clearly a metaphor. 

St. Thomas, in saying that the character 
is impressed, not on the essence of the soul, 
but upon its powers, means on the intellect 
by way of light, and on the affections by 
way of love. It signifies, therefore, a work 
of the Holy Grhost, the Illuminator and 
Sanctifier, upon the soul. But it signifies 
not only the universal and uniform work of 
the Holy Grhost, as in Baptism and Con- 
firmation, but a special and singular work 
wrought upon the soul of those only who, 
by ordination, share in the Priesthood of 
Jesus Christ. The three sacraments, which 
impress a character, create and constitute 
each severally a special relation of the soul 
to G-od, — Baptism that of sons, Confirm- 
ation that of soldiers, Orders that of priests, 
and these three relations once constituted 


296 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

are eternal, and therefore, indelible. 
Whether in the light of glory or in the 
outer darkness, we shall be sons, soldiers 
and priests, accepted or cast out eternally. 
And to these three relations a special and 
commensurate grace of the Holy Ghost is 
attached. The character of sons has in it 
all the grace necessary for the life of sons of 
God ; the character of confirmation all grace 
needed for the warfare of the soldier of 
Jesus Christ, even to confessorship and 
martyrdom ; the character of the priesthood 
has in it all grace of light, strength and 
sanctity, needed for the sacerdotal fife in 
all its manifold duties, trials and dangers. 
It was of this St. Paul reminded Timothy 
when he said, “Neglect not the grace that 
is in thee, which was given thee by pro- 
phecy, with imposition of the hands of the 
priesthood.” Well did St. John remind us 
of our dignity that we should be called and 
should be the sons of God. 


May the power of the Holy Grhost be 
ever with us, we beseech Thee, O God; 
and may He in His mercy cleanse our hearts 
and save us from all dangers ; through our 
Lord Jesus Christ, who with Thee and the 
same Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, one 
God, world without end. Amen. 


LXXIV. 

The Holy Ghost and the Sacrament of 
Penance. 

In that day there shall be a 
fountain opened to the house of 
David, and to the Inhabitants of 
Jerusalem, for the washing of the 
sinners. Zach. 13: 1. 

Treating of the Holy Ghost and the 
Sacrament of Penance, in his work Devotion 
to the Holy Ghost , Archbishop Zardetti 
says : — 

Our divine Lord, conferring on His 
apostles the power of forgiving sins, gave 
them first and in a way most significative 
the Holy Ghost. Scripture stating : “Then 
He breathed on them ; and said to them ; 
Receive ye the Holy Ghost ; whose sins you 
shall forgive they are forgiven them, and 
whose sins you shall retain, they are re- 
tained.” Since, by the infusion of sancti- 
fying grace, sin is destroyed and the in- 
dwelling Spirit banishes sin and guilt from 
the heart of man. the liturgy of holy Church 
says of the Holy Ghost, — in the Mass for 
,( 297 ) 


298 Come , Holy Ghost. 

Pentecost, — “He is the remission of all 
sins.” Why is this so? How comes it? 
Simply because the relation of the Holy 
Ghost to the spirit, the sacrament and the 
works of true penance is a most manifold 
one. The power of absolution is from the 
Holy Ghost. That which constitutes the 
essence and soul of our reconciliation with 
God, true supernatural contrition or all the 
dispositions required for the forgivess of 
sins, is principally the work and the gift of 
the Holy Ghost. To Him we must have 
recourse in order to know our sins, to re- 
pent of them truly, to confess them duly 
and to receive sacramental grace validly. 
Penance is both a virtue and a sacrament. 
Penance means simple repentance. From 
the beginning of the world the grace of 
penance has been poured out upon men. It 
is an interior disposition of the soul before 
God; and from the beginning the Holy 
Ghost, whose office is to convince the world 
of sin, has convinced sinners of their trans- 
gressions, has converted them to penance, 
and from penance has made them saints. 
The grace of the Holy Ghost poured upon 
sinners to convert them, has a double effect, 
working on both mind and heart ; on the 
mind and intellect, in so far as it gives us 
light to understand and to know ourselves 


299 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

more truly, and thereby to understand, to 
enumerate, to measure, and to realize our 
sins and their gravity ; on the heart, in so 
far as it enables us to be contrite, to detest 
sin from motives not of nature, but of faith, 
and to make acts of sorrow. We are often 
not conscious enough of the exclusively 
supernatural character of this entire pro- 
cess. In consequence of minute instruction 
on how to confess rightly, men oftentimes 
overlook the principal thing, the interior 
disposition of the heart, which alone is the 
soul of all. All depends on this interior 
disposition, and consequently our prayers 
to the Author of the grace of penance and 
contrition and forgiveness — the Holy Ghost, 
are of the greatest importance. 

Let us entreat Him to fulfill His office in 
us and “ convince us of sins.” Let us im- 
plore His mercy that He may give us the 
contrition of David, the tears of Peter and 
the heart-stirring sorrow of Mary Magdalen . 1 
Love and contrition alone, as the Holy 
Ghost gives them, destroy sin, and in pro- 
portion to the measure of love and contri- 
tion is grace and peace restored to the 
troubled soul of the sinner. “Many sins 
are forgived her, because she hath loved 
much.” No human words, however, will 
ever be able to express the feelings of a 


300 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

truly repentant sinner so perfectly as do the 
inspired words of the Holy Ghost in the 
psalm by excellence, — the fiftieth, the 
Miserere. 


O Divine Spirit, Spirit of grace and of 
prayer, enable me so to look upon Him 
whom I have pierced by my sins that I may 
detest sin above all things and suffer every 
thing rather than sin again. Amen. 




LXXV. 

The Holy Ghost and the Blessed Eucharist. 

The Holy Ghost signifying this, 
that the way into the Holies was 
not yet made manifest, whilst the 
former tabernacle was yet stand- 
ing. Heb. 9: 8. 

The same Mgr. Zardetti, treating of “The 
Holy Ghost and the Sacrament of the Holy 
Eucharist,” in the work from which I have 
already quoted, says: — 

The relation of the Holy Grhost to the 
sacrament of the Holy Eucharist and the 
unbloody Sacrifice of the Mass is, if 
possible, still more mystical and unique 
than His relation to the sacrament of Pen- 
ance. Because it was by the Holy Ghost 
that the Eternal Word assumed human 
nature, and the mystery of the Incarnation 
is, in some sense, continued or repeated in 
the mystery of Transubstantiation ; this mi- 
raculous operation or the consecration of 
the bread and wine into the body and blood 
of Christ is, by the universal tradition of 
the Church, most emphatically ascribed to 
the Holy Ghost. Tradition sees a type of 
this consuming and transforming fire of the 
Spirit of God in the mystical fire, which, in 
( 301 ) 


302 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

the Old Testament at times came down 
from heaven and consumed the sacrifices. 

When at the Offertory the priest, with 
uplifted hands prays: “Come, 0 Sanctifier, 
Almighty, Eternal God, and bless this 
sacrifice set forth to Thy holy name,” it is 
the most solemn invocation of the divine 
Spirit upon the oblation. 

By the Holy Ghost the Blessed Virgin 
conceived, “for the Holy Ghost shall come 
upon thee and the power of the Most High 
shall overshadow thee.” By the Holy 
Ghost Christ offered Himself unspotted 
unto God on the altar of Calvary as a 
bloody sacrifice “to cleanse our conscience 
from dead works and to make us serve the 
living God.” By the Holy Ghost the 
Apostles, and through them their legitimate 
successors, were made partakers of Christ’s 
priesthood, and by virtue of this partaking, 
using His words, they consecrate and sacri- 
fice. Hence the Spirit of God descended 
upon the cenacle where the Blessed Sacra- 
ment was first consecrated. Hence the 
custom of old, to keep the consecrated par- 
ticles in a silver vessel of the shape of a 
dove. Hence the majestic invocations of 
the Oriental liturgies to the Holy Ghost. 
Not only is the divine Spirit called down to 
change bread and wine into the body and 


303 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

blood of Christ; He is, moreover, called 
down in order to “make our oblation to us 
the Body and Blood of Christ,” that is to 
make the Sacrament salutary to us and give 
us a share in the grace contained therein. 
It is, in fine, this same divine Spirit, whom 
the Church in her official prayers asks to 
prepare us for a worthy celebration and re- 
ception of these divine mysteries. (See 
prayer at end of this piece.) 

What words can be more expressive, and 
more directly express our ideas, than the 
words of this prayer of St. Ambrose, which 
will be presently given, and which is re- 
commended to priests as a part of their pre- 
paration for the celebration of the Adorable 
Sacrifice on Sundays? 


Teach me, O Lord, Thy unworthy ser- 
vant, by Thy Holy Spirit, to approach so 
great a mystery with that reverence and 
honor, that devotion and fear, which is due 
and fitting. Make me, through Thy grace, 
always to believe and understand, to con- 
ceive and firmly to hold, to think and to 
speak, of that exceeding mystery, as shall 
please Thee and be good for my soul. Let 
Thy good Spirit enter my heart, and there 
be heard without utterance, and without the 
sound of words speak all truth. Amen. 


LXXVI. 

Actual and Sanctifying Grace. 

You shall receive the power of 
the Holy Ghost coming upon yon. 

Acts 1 : 8. 

In the Sermons from the Flemish , the 
preacher, after treating, in his sermon for 
Pentecost, of the effects which the Holy 
Ghost produced in the Apostles by his 
coming, continues: — 

You see, my brethren, it was in an ex- 
traordinary manner that God the Holy 
Ghost descended on the Apostles, and it 
also was an extraordinary gift which they 
received. It is not in an extraordinary, it 
is not in a visible, but in a invisible man- 
ner, that the Holy Ghost comes to us, and 
grants us most costly gifts, as we have been 
taught from our infancy. When does the 
Holy Ghost come into us? When in a new 
manner He begins to work in us. What is 
the principle work of the Holy Ghost? To 
sanctify the members of the Church of 
Christ by the dispensing of His grace. This 
( 304 ) 


305 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

sanctification takes place in two ways, or 
by two different gifts : by actual grace which 
the Holy Ghost grants us, and by sancti- 
fying grace which He infuses into our soul. 
It is to these precious gifts that I wish to 
draw your attention to-day; which is all 
the more necessary, as there are so many 
to be found who do not sufficiently appre- 
ciate and esteem these gifts. 

First, in regard to actual or working 
grace. By this is meant a divine, a super- 
natural power, which operates on the powers 
of our soul, our understanding and our will. 
In affecting our understanding it draws our 
attention to the truths which we must know, 
and believe, and on which we must reflect 
and meditate for salvation. It is a divine 
power which no less works on our will, 
which strengthens, and assists us to live 
according to truths of faith, to practice vir- 
tue and to avoid sin: and, what ought to be 
well noticed here, without this actual grace, 
and without our co-operation with it, we 
can do nothing toward our salvation; 
nothing meritorious for heaven, nor any- 
thing for which we shall be rewarded when 
we come to die. It is true, without actual 
grace, without God’s special help and as- 
sistance, man can do works which morally 
are blameless, which are even good and 


306 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

praiseworthy; but without God’s special 
help and assistance, which we call actual 
grace, man can do nothing supernatural, 
nothing that avails toward salvation. 
Actual grace, therefore, is for us of great 
importance; it is a precious gift which 
the Holy Ghost in-fuses into us for our 
sanctification ; which He grants us so 
that we may gain our salvation, so 
that we may do or avoid all that is 
required for our salvation. But, as we 
ought carefully to notice, it is a gift, a grace 
of which we must avail ourselves. We must, 
on our part, faithfully correspond with it. 

A second remarkable and most precious 
gift which the Holy Ghost grants us, is 
sanctifying grace. This grace is totally 
different from actual grace. Actual gyace, 
which enlightens our mind and strengthens 
our will concerning what we must do and 
avoid towards salvation, is a passing grace, 
which is granted to us to co-operate with it ; 
but if we fail in this co-operation, this grace 
disappears and leaves us to ourselves. It 
is not so with sanctifying grace. This is 
not a supernatural gift which is offered to 
us, but which is really infused into our 
souls; it is a gift which adorns our soul, 
which makes it pleasing and agreeable to 
God ; so pleasing that He unites Himself to 


307 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

our soui, and in a special manner makes 
His abode in it, as our Lord declares in the 
Gospel, when He says, “we will come to 
him, and we will make our abode with 
him.” Sanctifying grace, therefore, is a 
most precious gift ; which surpasses all that 
God can grant to man. When we receive 
this grace, we are united to God; we then 
become “Partakers of the divine nature,” 
says the Prince of the Apostles. Then we 
can say in the words of the Apostle St. 
Paul: “I live, now not I, but Christ liveth 
in me. ’ 7 When we have received sanctifying 
grace, we possess a treasure to which heaven 
is attached, in other words, which gives us 
a right to heaven ; it is an assurance that 
the just God, according to His divine pro- 
mise, will bring us to heaven, if we end our 
lives in the possession of this grace. What 
happiness for man, what unspeakable hap- 
piness to be in a state of grace. To possess 
sanctifying grace is of greater importance 
than all the riches and goods, than all the 
treasures of the earth; for man’s salvation, 
his eternal happiness, heaven is attached to 
sanctifying grace. 

Learn, then, my brethren, to value and 
to guard this precious gift, the sanctifying 
grace which the Holy Ghost infuses into 
your soul. Instead of depriving yourself 


308 


Come, Holy Ghost. 

of it by mortal sin, apply yourself by virtues 
and good works, and above all by devoutly 
and frequently approaching the Holy Sacra- 
ments, to increase the sanctifying grace 
within you; for the greater this precious 
treasure shall be, the greater also shall be 
the glory which you will enjoy for ever in 
heaven. 

Yet, notwithstanding these precious gifts 
of the divine Spirit, always ready for those 
who ask for them with the proper disposi- 
tion, is it not sad to think, that, in this age 
of enlightenment, as the world calls it, the 
Holy Ghost is forgotten. Where are the 
happy times when emperors and kings at 
their coronation received the holy annoint- 
ing at the hands of bishops, or, as some- 
times happened, from the Pope, and im- 
plored the grace of the Holy Grhost upon 
their reign? Where are the times when 
legislators before their councils, and judges 
before their sittings, besought the Holy 
Grhost for light, in order to be able to make 
good and salutary laws and to judge ac- 
cording to God and conscience? Where 
are the times when in no public school, 
college or university, the scholastic year 
was commenced without first having a 
solemn Mass of the Holy Ghost? Those 
times are past. Everywhere the Holy Ghost 


309 


Come , Holy Ghost . 


is ignored, and He, in return, refuses His 
blessing to institutions which no longer 
acknowledge Him. The result of this is, 
that, where formerly good order, justice, 
spiritual and temporal blessings were en- 
joyed, we now find for the most part noth- 
ing but disorder, ambition, a spirit of revolt 
and irreligion. 


Prevent, we beseech Thee, 0 Lord, our 
actions by Thy holy inspirations, and carry 
them on by Thy gracious assistance ; that 
every prayer and work of ours may begin 
always with Thee, and by Thee be happily 
ended. Amen. 




LXXYII. 


Hindrances to the Operations of the Holy 
Ghost in the Soul. 

I will lead her into the wilder- 
ness; and I will speak to her 
heart. Osee 2: 14. 

One of the most useful and practical 
books that can be placed in the hands of 
those who aspire, as all should, to perfec- 
tion, whether they belong to the ranks of 
the clergy, the religious or the laity, is 
Meditations for all the Days of the Year , by 
the Rev. M. Hammon, S. S. 

In the meditation for the first Sunday 
after the Feast of the Ascension he says, 
among other points : — 

Let us adore Jesus Christ giving to His 
Apostles the counsel to pass in solitude the 
ten days intervening between the Ascension 
and Pentecost, to dispose us to receive the 
Holy Ghost. Let us apply to ourselves so 
useful a counsel ; let us thank our Lord for 
giving it to us ; let us beg Him to enable us 
thoroughly to understand it. 

In the ordinary course of our lives, our 
soul is invaded by a thousand foreign 
thoughts, a thousand preoccupations or 
( 310 ) 


311 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

imaginations, which render us incapable of 
prayer and recollection, and hinder the 
whole action of the Holy Spirit within us. 
It is a little world of affairs, of events, often 
even of nothings and chimeras •, it is a the- 
atre less noisy indeed than the great world, 
but often not less tumultuous, wherein all 
past, present and future events, all the re- 
veries of the mind and the imagination, 
pass across the scene, sometimes one after 
the other, sometimes confusedly. Hence 
dissipation in our conduct, distraction in 
our prayer, and forgetfullness of God in 
our daily life; hence an ill-regulated in- 
terior, a soul in a state of complete dis- 
order, upset, overwhelmed by exterior 
things, and incapable of all recollection. 
The solitude of which we speak consists in 
remedying so deplorable a state of things, 
in separating ourselves interiorly from the 
little world which troubles and agitates it- 
self, in making within ourselves a sanctuary 
for God, where we can remain in tranquil- 
lity, alone with God. There we occupy 
ourselves with the God whom we love, His 
beauty and His infinite amiability; we 
speak to Him with the simplicity of con- 
fidence and love ; we offer Him all our ac- 
tions, our words, and our thoughts; we beg 
of Him to send us His adorable spirit to en- 
lighten us, to touch us, and to inflame us. 


312 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

Oh, how far we are from this happy soli- 
tude, how distracted is our interior, how 
disordered, how little recollected, how full 
of the world and of all that takes place 
in it. 

The Holy Spirit is a jealous God who 
will not share a divided heart; and this 
divine jealousy extends to the point of cool- 
ing His friendship and withdrawing it from 
the soul. It takes from us His grace, some- 
times only because of a simple opening in 
the heart left for the admittance of created 
objects; a willing look cast upon things we 
have no need to see, a deliberate attach- 
ment, a useless thought. It is true that 
God in His goodness seems sometimes to 
forget His severe jealousy, as far as to re- 
call the soul that has been voluntarily un- 
faithful to Him ; but these are exceptions 
which we must not take into account. In 
the ordinary course of things, the Holy 
Spirit does not communicate Himself fully 
except to the soul which, from respect to 
the sensitiveness of His love, giving itself 
fully to Him, avoids the bestowing of itself 
upon outside things. 

The Holy Ghost is a God of peace who 
will not have anything to do with a heart 
which is troubled; and where the little 
world of vain thoughts enters there is neces- 
sarily trouble, tumult, agitation of the 


313 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

mind which is a cause of dissipation of 
thought, an upheaval of the heart which is 
preoccupied, consequently incompatible 
with the Holy Spirit. 

In vain God might favor with His gifts 
the soul that does not know how to main- 
tain interior solitude: it would soon lose 
them. The habit of occupying itself with 
outward things would make it forget its 
best resolutions, and would dry up the 
waters of grace, and paralyze the most holy 
dispositions, and, like the seed cast on the 
way side, the good inspirations of the Holy 
Spirit would soon be trodden under foot by 
the thousand thoughts and imaginations 
which come and go in the dissipated soul. 
O solitude, says St. Jerome, paradise on 
earth, road to heaven. O desert where we 
enjoy familiarity with God. O Christian 
soul, what dost thou in the world, thou who 
art greater than the world. 


0 Jesus, drive from our hearts the spirit 
of the world, and send us Thy divine 
Spirit, that He may sanctify us with His 
precious gifts, dissipate the darkness which 
surrounds us, and inflame our hearts with 
love for Thee. O gracious Virgin, Spouse 
of the Holy Ghost, grant that, following 
thy example, we may invite Him to our 
hearts by retirement and prayer. Amen. 


LXXVIIL 

The Gifts Which the Holy Ghost Brings to the 
Soul. 

The uncertain and hidden things 
of Thy wisdom Thou hast made 
manifest to me. Ps. 50: 8. 

Continuing his meditations in prepara- 
tion for the proper celebration of the Feast 
of Pentecost, Father Hammon takes up the 
Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost, and begins 
by saying:— 

In order that we may be inspired to pre- 
pare ourselves rightly for Pentecost, we will 
meditate during the following days on the 
seven gifts which the Holy Spirit brings 
with Him to the soul, as so many inesti- 
mable treasures wherewith to ornament and 
enrich it. We will, therefore, meditate first 
on the gift of Understanding, which makes 
us know God and all the titles He possesses 
to our love ; secondly, on the gift of Know- 
ledge, which makes us comprehend the 
nothingness of all created things and the 
use we ought to make of them to raise our- 
selves to God. We will, then, make the 
resolution: first, often to call down on us, 
by means of ejaculatory prayers, the gifts 
( 314 ) 


315 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

of Understanding and Knowledge; second- 
ly, to cultivate recollection as a means of 
attracting the Holy Spirit toward us, and 
vigilance to avoid the numerous sins which 
might make Him depart from us. 

Let us adore the Holy Spirit as the eter- 
nal and personal love of Giod. Let us offer 
Him our homage of love, begging Him to 
enable us to understand the excellence of 
His gifts, and to prepare us Himself for the 
great feast which is drawing nigh. 

The Gift of Understanding . The gift of 
understanding is a supernatural light which 
the Holy Spirit diffuses in the soul in order 
to enable it the better to know Grod: first in 
His infinite perfections ; second, in the riches 
of love enclosed in the mysteries ; third, in 
His word contained in the Holy Scriptures ; 
fourth, in the religion, so marvelous in its 
wisdom, which He has revealed to us ; and, 
fifth, in the Providence which presides over 
all the events of our lives. Oh, how desir- 
able this gift is, and with what fervor ought 
we not to ask for it. The ideas of reason 
on these lofty truths are so confined, even 
ideas engendered by faith are so dark. As 
yet it is only twilight ; but the gift of un- 
derstanding is the broad daylight, by the 
aid of which we see so clearly into the depths 
of all things. Devoid of this gift, Grod, His 


316 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

perfections, His mysteries, His religion, His 
providence, say nothing to the mind or to 
the heart. Possessed of this gift, the 
ravished soul discovers in God beauty which 
transports it, in the mysteries inexpressible 
charms, in religion so magnificent a whole 
that the heart is ravished with love for it, 
and in providence designs so worthy of God 
that it cannot contain its admiration and 
praise. 

Let us thank God for this gift with all 
fervor of our desires, and let us recall to 
ourselves that it is promised solely to per- 
fect purity of heart: “ Blessed are the clean 
of heart, for they shall see God.” 

The Gift of Knowledge . If the. gift of un- 
derstanding enables us to know God, the 
gift of knowledge teaches us to know 
creatures; and this knowledge is not less 
necessary to our salvation than is even the 
knowledge of God. By this gift the Holy 
Spirit renders three great services to the 
soul ; first, He shows it all created things in 
their true light; He divests riches, honors, 
pleasures, all earthly goods, of the seductive 
charm which surrounds them, and points 
out how fragile they are, how vain, of how 
short duration, how incapable of making us 
happy, how hurtful and dangerous they are 
to our salvation. Second, the Holy Spirit, 
by the gift of knowledge, teaches us to use 


317 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

all visible beings as so many steps to raise 
us up to God, who has created them for us ; 
to make of the whole of nature, as it were, 
a great book full of the divinity, in which 
every thing speaks of God, every thing 
preaches love ; lastly, to see in all that exists 
a mirror in which are reflected from all 
sides the goodness, the wisdom, the power, 
the providence of God, or a harmonious 
concert calling upon all hearts to love the 
Supreme Good. Therein consists the know- 
ledge of the saints. Third, by the gift of 
knowledge the Holy Spirit gives to preachers 
the great art of worthily announcing the word 
of God, and directors of consciences the art 
of directing souls, of strengthening them in 
their weaknesses, of consoling them in their 
sorrows, of making them walk in the ways 
where God wills them to be, of correcting 
their defects, and raising them to the 
practice of virtues. O how precious this 
gift is. How we ought to desire it and to 
prepare ourselves to receive it. 

O Holy Ghost, eternal source of light, 
remove my darkness, and dispel those 
shades that hide from me the sins I have 
committed. Grant me a feeling sense of 
them, that I may detest them all from the 
bottom of my heart, and dread nothing so 
much as ever to commit them hereafter. 
Amen. 


LXXIX. 

The Gifts of the Holy Ghost, Continued. 

Thy good spirit shall lead me 
into the right land. 

Ps. 142 : 10. 

Turning to the gift of counsel, Father 
Hammon presents the following points of 
meditation: — 

We will continue, he says, to meditate 
upon the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and, 
taking as the subject of our meditation the 
gift of counsel, we shall see : first, the ex- 
cellence of the gift ; second, the conditions 
on which it is communicated; third, the 
obstacles which keep it at a distance from 
the soul. We will then make the resolution: 
first, to mistrust our own selves, and to put 
our confidence in the Spirit of God in regard 
to every thing which we have to do, whether 
in the spiritual or the temporal order; 
second, to call to our aid, by frequent and 
fervent ejaculations, the Holy Spirit; third, 
not to anticipate by haste, nor retard by 
slowness, the actions of the Holy Spirit 
in us. 

Let us adore the Holy Spirit communi- 
cating Himself to the soul to direct it, like 
( 318 ) 


319 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

a faithful friend, in the pathway of life ; to 
show it the end whither it ought to tend, 
and to reveal to it the means of reaching it. 
Let us thank Him for so much goodness, 
and let us beg of Him to animate our will 
to follow in all things His holy inspirations. 

The gift of counsel is given to the soul to 
direct it in its acts, and it is in regard to the 
supernatural order what prudence is in the 
natural order. It shows us what we must 
do, or not do; say, or not say, according 
to persons, times and seasons ; it aids the 
wisdom of reason by the better lights of the 
wisdom which comes down from on high, 
in all our actions, enterprises and words. 
It teaches us how to derive benefit from 
every thing as a means toward our salvation, 
toward the sanctification of others, and to- 
ward the advancement of the work of God. 
Oh, how excellent is this gift, how many 
imprudent and uncharitable words it pre- 
vents us from uttering, what indiscreet 
actions it teaches us to avoid, what diffi- 
culties in which we should not know how 
to conduct ourselves does it enlighten and 
resolve. With human prudence alone for 
our guide, we sail along only with difficulty, 
like the ship which has both wind and tide 
against her; but with this gift we go on our 
way quickly, like the ship which has all her 


320 Come , Holy Ghost . 

sails set and which has the wind in her 
favor. 

The first means for obtaining the gift of 
counsel is to renounce the spirit of the 
world ; for it is evident that the person who 
is guided ought to tend to the same end as 
his guide. Now, the spirit of the world is 
opposed to the spirit of God, both in its 
end and in its path. The spirit of the world 
only regards happiness in the present life, 
the spirit of God tends to lead the soul to 
eternal happiness. The spirit of the world 
follows hypocritical and politic ways and is 
content to deceive others by appearances ; 
the spirit of God follows direct and open 
ways ; it wills that we should be what we 
ought to be, and should not only appear 
so. We must, secondly, consult the Spirit 
of God, and call Him to our aid by an humble 
and confiding prayer, saying to Him from 
the bottom of our hearts: My God, have 
pity on my misery; I am blind, make me to 
see ; I am ignorant enlighten my darkness ; 
I am incapable of guiding myself, conduct 
me; and we must say this prayer every 
morning for all the actions of the day. We 
must, thirdly, habitually offer ourselves to 
the Holy Spirit in a disposition of recollec- 
tion, that we may listen to Him, and of 
generosity to do all that He may tell us, at 
whatever cost. 


321 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

Of the obstacles to the gift of counsel, 
the first is presumption. It is written, “God 
resists the proud, ” consequently there is no 
gift of counsel for the presumptuous, who, 
full of self-sufficiency, thinks he has no 
need of help. The second obstacle is haste. 
If we follow the eagerness of natural ac- 
tivity, God, who never hurries, allows the 
imprudent man to walk under the guidance 
of his own spirit, as inconsiderate in words 
as he is bold in projects, and showing want 
of reflection in all he does. “He that is 
hasty with his feet shall stumble,” says the 
Holy Scripture. If after having maturely 
taken a resolution we delay in executing it, 
circumstances change, the opportunity is 
lost, and the Spirit of God leaves in his in- 
dolence the man who keeps behindhand. 
Have we not placed these three obstacles in 
the way of the action of the Holy Spirit 
within us? 


O Holy Spirit, adorable principle of the 
divine adoption, be also the principle of my 
life, of my actions, of my desires, and of 
all the motions of my heart, that they may 
be worthy of a child of God and a member 
of Jesus Christ. Amen. 


LXXX. 

The Gifts of the Holy Ghost, Continued. 

Wisdom is better than all the 
most precious things; and what- 
soever may be desired cannot be 
compared to it. Prov. 8 : 11. 

Continuing the study of the gifts of the 
Holy Spirit, says Father Hammon, we will 
meditate upon the gift of wisdom, and we 
shall see: first, what the gift of wisdom is; 
second, what the excellence of it. We will 
then make the resolution: first, frequently 
during the day to invoke the Spirit of 
wisdom that He may direct our acts, our 
thoughts, and our words ; second, to watch 
over our heart that it may not be seduced 
by the false maxims of the world in respect 
to enjoyments, riches, honors, and the 
desire of attracting notice. 

What is wisdom? It is, according to St. 
Bernard, a disgust for the things of this 
world and a taste for the things of Grod. 
The soul which has received this divine 
taste finds an inexpressible pleasure in 
( 322 ) 


323 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

thinking of God, in enjoying things which 
belong to God, His greatness, His beauty, 
His perfections, His mysteries; so infinitely 
adorable, so infinitely amiable does it find 
them to be. Thanks to this gift of wisdom, 
it knows no other pleasure in this world 
than that of prayer, of meditation, of spiri- 
tual reading, of good works, of exercises of 
piety, no other attraction than that of the 
divine pleasure, so that it is more delighted 
to perform the meanest things for the love 
of God than to bear scepters and wear 
crowns, as St. Teresa said of herself. Time 
appears to it but as a shadow, eternity 
alone is worthy of occupying its thoughts. 
Oh, what great need have we of this gift; 
for, without it, we allow ourselves to be 
seduced by the folly of the world, which 
places its last end in the creature and not in 
God ; its content in things that pass away, 
and not in things eternal ; in things which 
dazzle, which flatter vanity or give pleasure, 
and not in humiliation, poverty, the cross, 
all of which things are so much loved by 
Jesus Christ and the saints. 

If we inquire what is the excellence of 
the gift of wisdom, it is, in the first place, 
the specific remedy for the corruption left 
in us by original sin. Such, in point of 
fact, is our evil nature, that we have a taste 


324 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

for everything which amuses and gives us 
pleasure, for all that flatters self-love and 
vanity, for all that attracts toward us praise 
and esteem, in a word, for the world and 
its false treasures ; while, on the contrary, 
we have but little taste for spiritual things, 
for exercises of piety, for the practice of 
virtues. We often feel an aversion and a 
disgust toward everything that belongs to 
duty, so that it is sometimes sufficient that 
a thing should be commanded in order to 
make it displeasing to us ; that it should be 
forbidden in order that it should become 
attractive to us. Now, the gift of wisdom 
is precisely that which corrects these de- 
praved tastes. It shows us in all its naked- 
ness the falsity of everything which the 
world esteems, and inspires us with disgust 
for it ; the real merit of all which sanctifies, 
and inspires us with love for it. Secondly, 
the gift of wisdom renders all virtues easy 
to us, and makes us run with dilated hearts 
in the ways of perfection. It makes us 
enjoy Grod and spiritual things, the cross 
and privations, recollection in Grod, charity 
and devotedness toward our neighbor, 
humility and self-sacrifice ; and with these 
supernatural tastes, there is nothing in re- 
gard to our salvation which costs us any- 
thing. We do all things well, because we 


325 


Come , Holy Ghost, 


do them with a taste for them ; we perform 
them courageously and without weariness, 
because they are a pleasure to us ; we per- 
form them lovingly, because we find hap- 
piness in them, even in this present life. 
Let us ask and entreat with all our hearts 
for so precious a gift. 


0 Fountain of light, vouchsafe, I beseech 
Thee, to enlighten my understanding; give 
me a docile and diligent spirit, and an effi- 
cacious desire to apply whatever I read to 
the glory of Glod, the sanctification of my 
soul, and the salvation of others. Amen. 



LXXXI. 

The Gifts of the Holy Ghost, Concluded. 

God hath sent the Spirit of His 
Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, 
(Father). Gal. 4: 6. 

We will continue, says Father Hammon, 
our meditations on the gifts of the Holy 
Spirit, and will meditate on the gift of piety. 
We shall see: first, what this gift is in re- 
gard to God ; second, what it is in regard 
to our neighbor. We will then make the 
resolution: first, so to live that the Holy 
Spirit may always find our souls well pre- 
pared; second, always to see in God a 
Father full of tenderness, and to apply 
ourselves to love Him rather than to fear 
Him ; third, to see in our neighbor a child 
of God, a brother of Jesus Christ, and, on 
account of these titles, to treat him with 
tender respect. 

Let us adore the Holy Spirit shedding on 
the souls of men the gift of piety, that pre- 
cious gift which softens the natural hardness 
of the heart and fills it with tenderness 
( 326 ) 


327 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

toward God and toward our neighbor. Let 
us thank Him for this ineffable gift ; let us 
beg Him to communicate it to us, and to 
make us rightly understand its excellence. 

In regard to God the gift of piety is very 
different from the virtue of religion; for 
while the latter honors God as the creator 
and supreme Master, the gift of piety 
teaches us to honor Him as our Father, and 
produces with regard to Him, in the soul, 
a wholly filial affection, full of unction, of 
tenderness and suavity, which places its 
whole happiness in occupying itself with 
God and the things belonging to God, and 
with doing all things with the desire of 
pleasing Him. By means of this gift we 
no longer see in God the Judge whose 
severity makes us tremble ; we only see a 
tender Father whose kindness consoles us ; 
a Father who looks lovingly upon us, and 
on whom we look in the same manner. We 
no longer think of fearing Him, we only 
thing of loving Him. To love Him is every 
thing, and the more we love the more we 
still desire to love. This affection and this 
tenderness kindle in the heart an ardent 
desire to please Him at all costs. If we fall 
into a fault, we are not troubled. God is a 
Father ; we cast ourselves into His arms to 
ask pardon, with humble confidence, as a 


328 Come , Holy Ghost . 

child who has fallen casts itself into the 
arms of its mother, and the soul is allowed 
to make amends for its fault by more love, 
by better behavior, and it resumes its man- 
ner of life in peace with renewed fervor. 
There is no anxiety, no scruple, to be enter- 
tained in the service of so good a Father ; 
all is love in it, and our heart is always at 
ease, like that of a child in the society of 
its good father. From these holy disposi- 
tions proceed out of the soul a great zeal 
for the glory of Grod, an inexpressible dis- 
pleasure at seeing Him offended, the dis- 
pleasure of a child at seeing the best of 
fathers insulted ; from thence, also, a tender 
love for the divine word contained in the 
Holy Scriptures ; it is the word of a father, 
always dear to the heart of a son; from 
thence a special affection for the Church 
triumphant, that is to say, for Mary, the 
angels, and the saints, because they are 
those who have most loved Grod, and we 
owe them infinite gratitude for it ; hence a 
very hearty devotion for the Church suffer- 
ing in purgatory, because therein are the 
just souls whom G-od desires to receive into 
His paradise, and whom we can enable to 
enter therein by means of our prayers and 
our merits; from thence, finally, a lively 
interest in the Church militant upon earth, 


329 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

because it has laid on it the duty of pro- 
claiming the glory of God; and its mis- 
fortunes tear our heart as much as its 
success ravishes it. 

In the next place, with regard to our 
neighbors; they are, as all men know, the 
images and the adopted children of God, 
the brothers of Jesus Christ, and the gift of 
piety puts into the heart a real fraternal love, 
a benevolent inclination, and abundance of 
delectation and of sweetness, which is as a 
ray of the goodness of God, a participation 
in His charity, an emanation of His mercy, 
whence results toward all men a frank and 
gracious manner of acting, an always frank 
expression of countenance, an always affable 
intercourse, which is composed of kind and 
amiable words. We have toward them the 
simplicity of a child toward its superiors, 
the cordiality of a brother toward his 
equals ; we have the bowels of compassion 
for all who suffer, accompanied with a 
tender inclination to help them. We are 
afflicted with those who sorrow, we weep 
with those who weep, we rejoice with those 
who rejoice. We bear with cheerfulness 
the infirmities of the weak, the defects of 
the imperfect ; we make ourselves all things 
to all. 


330 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

0 Lord Jesus Christ, who didst send the 
Holy Ghost upon Thy Apostles, while 
engaged in uninimous and persevering 
prayer; purify my soul, I conjure Thee, 
that the Paraclete finding therein a dwelling 
place well pleasing to Him, may adorn it 
with His gifts, and replenish it with His 
consolations. Amen. 




LXXXII. 

The Eight Beatitudes. 

Blessed are the clean of heart, 
for they shall see God. 

St. Matt. 5 : 8. 

Speaking of the Eight Beatitudes, Car- 
dinal Manning says, in his Internal Mission 
of the Holy Ghost : — 

We have already seen how the fruits of 
the Holy Ghost grow upon a tree planted in 
the waters of baptism. We have seen that 
they are the acts, internal and external, of 
the love of God and our neighbor, of great 
fertility, and variety, and facility, and 
sweetness. They constitute the active per- 
fection of the soul; for “charity is the bond 
of perfection.” All other graces come and 
go with charity, and where charity is the 
soul has the fuU outline of its original. The 
life of Jesus is the patern of all perfection. 
He was all day long pouring out the words, 
and doing the works of Charity. But the 
perfection of the Son of God was not in His 
active works alone. He was made perfect 
through suffering. Obedience is perfected 
in patience. Jesus revealed the perfection 
of His Sacred Heart always and everywhere, 
( 331 ) 


332 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

but nowhere, and at no time, as in the three 
hour’s agony on the cross. Therefore the 
Church venerates, above all, her martyred 
children. They are made perfect in their 
passion, and ascend at once to the kingdom 
of their crucified Lord. 

We have, therefore, distinguished per- 
fection, not into two kinds, but into two 
degrees, the active and passive . The active 
perfection is the perfection of the fruits of 
the Holy G-host ; the passive, the perfection 
of the Beatitudes. 

Now, the Beatitudes are acts of a more 
excellent and heroic degree; and in the 
doing of them the soul is not only pre- 
paring itself for eternal bliss, but it already 
has a foretaste of its future beatitude. 
Therefore such acts are called Beatitudes 
because they beatify the soul even here in 
this life of warfare. They constitute also 
the highest perfection of the saints, — the 
closest confirmity to the Sacred Heart of 
Jesus Christ. 

The Beatitudes are eight in number. They 
describe eight kinds of perfection by which 
the soul tastes of its eternal sweetness. 
They are poverty of spirit, meekness, holy 
sorrow, hunger and thirst for G-od, merci- 
fulness, cleanness of heart, peacemaking 
among men, patience under persecution. 
We have here the image of Jesus Christ 


333 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

from Bethlehem to Calvary. Perfection 
begins in the stable, and is finished upon 
the cross ; and along the way of perfection 
the children of the Beatitudes are known, 
not only for their active charity, which is 
the sap and strength of the twelve fruits of 
the Spirit, but by a gentle and passive 
charity, which unites them, I may say, 
visibly with God ; for no man could do the 
things they do except God were with him. 
I may say that they are the last finishing 
touches by which the Holy Spirit of God 
completes His perfect will in us, — that is, 
our perfection. I will, therefore, try to 
show: first, what perfection is; secondly, 
who are called to it ; and, thirdly, what are 
the means of attaining it. 

1. First, as to what perfection is. It is 
not to be without sin, for then there would 
have been none perfect in this world except 
Jesus and His Blessed Mother, Joseph, John 
the Baptist, the Beloved Disciple, Jeremias 
the Prophet, and any others who may have 
been preserved from all sin. The perfection 
we speak of is the state of sanctification to 
which such as we are may attain in this life. 
Now, any Christian who exactly fulfils in 
his acts, and by the exercise of virtues, the 
obligations of a son of God, is called per- 
fect. This is the meaning of our Lord’s 
words: “Be you, therefore, perfect, as also 


334 


Come , Roly Ghost. 

your heavenly Father is perfect.” He ex- 
plains this. “ Love your enemies; do good 
to them that hate you. ” For Grod “maketh 
His sun to rise upon the good and bad ; and 
raineth upon the just and unjust.” 

In the Sacrament of Confirmation we are 
made “perfect Christians”; that is, all 
needful grace is given to do and to suffer 
all that is needed to the active and passive 
perfection of a son of Grod and of a good 
soldier of Jesus Christ. In a word, per- 
fection consists in charity; for charity is 
the perfection of God, and is, therefore, the 
perfection of the soul. Charity is the bond 
of the soul with Grod. Charity is the per- 
fection of faith and hope, and will be per- 
fect when they are passed away. 

0 my Lord Jesus Christ, who, according 
to Thy promise, didst send unto us the 
Paraclete, the Spirit of truth and of wisdom, 
send down upon me the gift of wisdom out 
of Thy holy heaven, and from the throne 
of Thy majesty; that it may be ever with 
me, and may labor with me, that I may 
always know what is acceptable to Thee. 
Give me the light to see, and the love to 
taste, the multitude of Thy sweetness, which 
Thou hast hid for them that fear Thee ; and 
lest I should be deceived by the illusions of 
the enemy, make me to love the Cross, and 
willingly to bear it day by day. Amen. 


LXXXIII. 

The Eight Beatitudes, Continued. 

If I should speak with the 
tongues of men and of angels, and 
have not charity, I am become as 
sounding brass or tinkling cymbal. 

1. Cor. 13: 1. 

Following the line of thought of our last 
selection, the learned Cardinal says: — 

St. Paul, by the light of the Holy Grhost, 
draws out the charity of Grod with a divine 
insight and delineation: “If I speak with 
the tongues of men and of angels, and have 
not charity, I am become as sounding brass 
or a tinkling cymbal. And if I should have 
prophecy and should know all mysteries 
and knowledge, and if I should have all 
faith, so that I could remove mountains, 
and have not charity, I am nothing. Charity 
is patient, is kind; charity envieth not, 
dealeth not perversely, is not puffed up, is 
not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not 
provoked to anger, thinketh no evil, re- 
joiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with 
the truth; beareth all things, hopeth all 
( 335 ) 


336 


Gome , Holy Ghost . 

things, endureth all things.’ ’ I have re- 
peated the whole of these divine words to 
bring out that they begin with patience and 
end with endurance. The whole delineation 
is a counterpart of the Beatitudes. It shows 
us an inward region of the passive perfection 
of the soul; a higher circle of the path 
which winds round the mountain near the 
summit, at a height where clouds and 
storms begin to meet us, and the darkness 
of Calvary may not be far off. 

But there is another world to be entered, 
in which spiritual trials multiply, with a 
growing consciousness of the unapproach- 
able sanctity of Grod, and therefore of per- 
sonal sinfulness ; reviving temptations, old 
enemies, old antagonists, crosses from bad 
men; worse than this, crosses from good 
men ; dryness and darkness of heart. Grod 
seems to be nowhere. 

Let us now read over the Beatitudes: 
“Blessed are the poor in spirit;” “Blessed 
are they that mourn ;” ‘ i Blessed are they that 
hunger and thirst ; ” “Blessed are ye when 
men shall persecute you for Justice’ sake.” 
This is a region not so much of active 
charity as of passive endurance. It is here 
that faith holds fast like an anchor out of 
sight ; deep down where no eye can reach. 
Hope says, “Though He kill me, yet will I 


337 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

trust in Him :” and charity, “Lord, Thou 
knowest all things; Thou knowest that I 
love Thee;” and contrition turns into com- 
punction, and prayer into “Father, if it be 
possible,” once again; the same words be- 
cause no others come. This is a stage in 
the journey which must be passed by those 
that are perfect. They are learning to suffer^ 
without and within ; from the world, from 
enemies, from friends, from satan, from 
themselves. They are learning to be patient 
as their divine Master ; gentle to all, even 
the most unworthy; generous to the un- 
grateful; thankful under the cross; and 
their will in perfect submission to the will 
of God. 

I am not describing canonized saints, but 
Christians such as we may be. There are 
perhaps no miracles in such a life. But it 
is a true personal perfection, and the last 
conformity we shall bear, perhaps, to our 
Master’s will. Nevertheless, in such a state 
there may be venial sins, and there are yet 
in the heart movements which are still 
turbulent against the will, and in the will 
itself infirmity. But there is no deliberate 
affection to any thing contrary to the will 
of God. 


O God the Holy Ghost, who hast sancti- 
fied me before I knew Thee, hast led me 


338 


Come , Holy Ghost . 


onward, notwithstanding all my resistance 
and all the sins by which I have grieved 
Thee, finish Thy work in me, for it is Thine. 
Thou didst begin it, and Thou alone canst 
make it perfect. I desire to be meek and 
merciful and clean of heart, and to hunger 
and thirst after Thee, the Just one, and to 
be silent under any cross or sorrow, or false 
accusation or shame, or hatred, for Thy 
Name’s sake, with the patience of Jesus. 
Amen. 



LXXXIY. 

Who are Called to Perfection ? 


Be ye therefore perfect, as also 
your heavenly Father is perfect. 

St. Matt. 5 : 48. 

Following the vein of thought of the last 
selection, the learned Cardinal takes up the 
second point, and asks: — 

2. Next, who are they that are called to 
perfection? We are all called to be saints. 
All that are saved must be perfect before 
they can . see the face of God. But all are 
not called to the same perfection, nor to the 
same degree of perfection, nor by the same 
way. As in the kingdom of bliss there are 
many mansions, so in this order of grace 
there are many ministrations of the Spirit 
of God. All are called, but not all to the 
same office, or grace, or reward. They will 
all receive of the free sovereign gift of God, 
— eternal life. But they will not all have 
the same grace here nor the same glory in 
heaven. 


( 339 ) 


340 Come , Holy Ghost . 

1. First, therefore, everyone that is born 
of water and the Holy Ghost is called to go 
onward, from faith, hope, charity, sancti- 
fying grace, the seven gifts, the twelve 
fruits, to the foot of the Cross. Not all in 
equal measure-, but all in some measure. 
Three things are certain: First, that He 
gives us an exceeding abundance of grace ; 
secondly, that we do not correspond with 
more than a part of the grace He pours so 
largely on us ; and thirdly, that we might 
all attain to a greater perfection than we do. 
The essential perfection of the soul is the 
love of God and our neighbor. Who is 
there that has attained in this what he 
might?. What perfection of charity is there 
that we might not attain? And whose fault 
is it that we do not? The Holy Ghost per- 
vades the whole Church of God with His 
sanctifying grace. Therefore it has the 
note of sanctity. With every living member 
He is perpetually present, not only in the 
holy Sacraments, but everywhere, and 
always, and in every action of life. There 
is no perfection of charity, humility, poverty 
of spirit that we may not attain. All of you 
living in the world, in trade and business, 
in cares and works of home, you may all 
be united with God in a close and constant 
union ; and with your lips to the fountain 


341 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

may draw from Him the perfection of 
charity. We do not realize our vocation to 
be sons of God. 

Nevertheless, there are some who are 
called to perfection here and now. Our 
Lord called His Apostles to be “the light 
of the world ,’ 7 and “the salt of the earth” ; 
that is, to make other men perfect. If so, 
they were called to be perfect themselves. 
He called also all those whom they con- 
secrated to be priests by that very action to 
be perfect also. The priesthood was con- 
secrated to guard and to transmit in a living 
example the perfection of their Master. 
Priests share His office and jurisdiction; 
they consecrate and distribute His Body 
and His Blood; they judge sinners, binding 
and loosing in His name. They are His 
witnesses ; they represent Him ; they are to 
be His living likeness, that men, in seeing 
them, may see Him or, in hearing them 
may hear His voice. 

3. Lastly, what are the means of attain- 
ing perfection? 

First, and above all, obedience to the 
commandments of God. Without this no 
man will ever reach to it. To deviate from 
the law of God, even in one point, is to turn 
away from perfection. It is swerving from 
our eternal end ; and if we fail of this, or if 


342 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

our will be bent on anything aside or below 
this, we are out of the way not only of 
perfection, but of life. Next, obedience to 
the precepts and to the authority of the 
Church. The ultimate and certain test 
whereby to know whether we are in the way 
of perfection is perfect conformity to the 
mind of the Church. I say to the mind , 
because it is not enough to believe all the 
dogmas and to submit to ail discipline. 
Many do this in whom the spirit of pride, 
singularity, criticism, and self-chosing are 
dominant. The mind of the Church is 
known not only by Pontiffs and Councils, 
but by the mind of the saints, by the tra- 
ditions of piety, and by customs of ap- 
proved or permitted devotion. 

Then again, obedience to the authority 
of parents, for the young ; and the authority 
of pastors for all. 

But after these, and with these at all 
times, the holy Sacraments are the chief 
means of receiving from Grod the grace of 
interior perfection. There can be no in- 
terior perfection without purity of con- 
science; and the chief means of purifying 
the conscience is the Sacrament of Penance, 
whereby the habit of self-examination and 
of circumspection is maintained, and the 
grace of contrition and of self-knowledge is 


343 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

continually increased. Next, there can be 
no interior perfection without cleanness of 
the heart; but the chief sanctification of 
the heart comes from communion in the 
Body and Blood of our divine Master ; in the 
indwelling of His Sacred Heart in us, and 
in the impression of His deified soul upon 
all the affections of our own. (I shall omit 
the remarks of Cardinal Manning on the 
counsels. ) 

Such, then, is the perfection to which we 
are called. 


0 my Lord Jesus Christ, who in Thy 
Most Precious Blood hast purchased for me 
the fruits of the Holy Ghost, suffer me not 
to defraud Thy holy Passion of its fruits in 
me. Let me never be smitted with bar- 
renness by Thy most just sentence. Let 
me never be cut down for cumbering the 
ground ; but, if need be, let the sharp knife 
of Thy loving care prune and take away all 
that hinders my sanctification. Make the 
fruits of justice grow in me, that to Thee, 
my neighbor and myself I may be fruitful 
in every good word and work. God the 
Holy Ghost, sanctify me. Amen. 


LXXXY. 

The Perfection of the Beatitudes. 

Whether you eat or drink, or 
whatsoever else you do ; do all to 
the glory of God. 

1. Cor. 10: 31. 

We shall conclude our extracts from 
Cardinal Manning on this point with the 
following: — 

1. First, let us confidently hope to attain 
the perfection of the Beatitudes, because it 
is a gift of God. It is the sovereign and 
free gift of our Heavenly Father for the 
merits of His incarnate Son. His will is to 
give it to us ; for He is glorified in our per- 
fection. Every soul that rises above the 
level of our commonplace life adds to His 
glory. One perfect soul glorifies God more 
than a score of lukewarm and earthly- 
minded. Saint Paul has given us a rule of 
perfection: “ Whether you eat or drink, or 
whatsoever you do ; do all to the glory of 
God.” If we made this the text of our life, 
how much we should leave undone ; how 
( 344 ) 


345 


Come , Roly Ghost . 

far more carefully would all our works be 
examined and our motives purified from 
selfish reserves. All our sanctification, 
from the first gift of regeneration, comes 
from Him, by a secret infusion of His Holy 
Spirit; and all our perfection in His work. 
Therefore it is easy of attainment ; for He 
loves to make perfect what He has once 
begun. 

2. The other truth is, that though all is 
of gift, all except the first gift of regenera- 
tion is also acquired. Our will must co- 
operate in all, — in faith, and hope, and 
charity, — in all the gifts, and in all the 
fruits, and in all the Beatitudes. We must 
not break a link in this golden chain of 
grace; we must not strain it by reluctance, 
or by tardy and grudging compliance. If 
we refuse His inspiration when it moves us 
to things above ourselves, we do not know 
what we may forfeit, never to be found 
again. Never till that day shall we know 
how much grace we have wasted, what 
golden seasons we have lost, what spring- 
tides have slipped away, what summer 
fruits we might have gathered, what autumn 
harvests we might have reaped and garnered 
for eternity. Let us, then, pray God to 
show us all His will, and give us strength 
to do it. 


346 Come , Holy Ghost . 

And now we have come to the end of our 
simple thoughts on so divine a work. . We 
have come to the foot of the mountain of 
Beatitudes, from which the new law of per- 
fection has gone forth to the ends of the 
earth. We see the companies of the elect 
going up each in its order. First, the poor, 
wayworn, [and foot-sore; here and there 
one who on earth was great, and noble, and 
rich, but poor in spirit, in the great multi- 
tude who eat bread in the sweat of their 
face. Then the meek, noiseless as the 
flight of doves; then the mourners, with 
their heads covered, following the Man of 
Sorrow by the strait, sure road of affliction. 
After them those that hunger after G-od in 
the vehemence of the Spirit, speeding up- 
ward and saluting no man on the way; 
next come the merciful, with their hands 
full of alms, which look like roses. After 
them, the clean of heart, scaling the 
mountain like rays that run upward with 
the speed of lightning; then come the 
peacemakers in the majesty of calm and 
joy; and in the rear of all, the soldiers of 
Jesus, the heralds of the Holy Grhost to a 
world of sin, which smote them, and slew 
them, for their charity. All these are going 
upward. Shall we be left behind! Aim 
higher and higher. Desire the best gifts. 


347 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

Be faithful over the least. Commit your- 
selves to the guidance of the Spirit of God, 
for He is Love, and Light, and Power. As 
He began so will He make perfect. 


How sweet, 0 Lord, is Thy Spirit ; how 
pleasant to my ear are the words of Thy 
mouth. O that I could ever be attentive 
to them, and fulfil Thy law. May I die to 
the world and all its pleasures ; and let the 
greatness of Thy love, make all that is 
earthly appear to me as nothing. Protect 
me against my enemies, and in all danger 
come to my defence ; make haste to help 
me, 0 God, and say to my soul, I am thy 
health and salvation. Amen. 



LXXXYI. 

I Believe in the Holy Ghost. 

Why hath Satan tempted your 
heart, and moved you to lie to the 
Holy Ghost? You have not lied 
to men, but to God. 

Acts. 5 : 4. 

Explaining the eighth article of the Apos- 
tles Creed, Monsignor G-aume in his very 
useful Catechism of Perseverance , says: — 

Sin had separated man from G-od. Now, 
in God there are three Persons. We have 
already seen what we should believe of the 
First and the Second, to unite ourselves 
with them by faith. It remains to be ex- 
plained what we should believe to unite 
ourselves with the Third. The eighth article 
of the Creed contains the object of our faith 
on this point : I believe in the Holy G-host. 

By these words we make profession of be- 
lieving in the Holy G-host as we believe in 
the Father and the Son. We confess that 
He is equal to each of them in all things ; 
that He has the same power, the same 
( 348 ; 


349 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

eternity, the same divinity ; in a word, that 
He is Hod as well as the Father and the Son, 
and that He has a right to the same homage 
and the same adoration. But we not only 
believe the Holy Grhost is Glod, but we also 
believe that He proceeds from the Father 
and the Son. To proceed means to receive 
one’s being. Not that the Holy Grhost was 
made, or created, or begotten ; but that He 
necessarily and eternally proceeds from the 
Father and the Son, by way of spiration , to 
use the language of theology. The Father 
eternally contemplates Himself, and, in con- 
templating Himself, eternally produces His 
Word. The Father and the Son eternally 
love each other, and eternally produce the 
Holy Grhost, who is their consubstantial 
love, and who is, like one of them, a divine 
Person. 

We give the Third Person of the Adorable 
Trinity the name of the Holy Spirit, although 
the Father and the Son may receive the 
same name. All the angels of heaven and 
all the blessed souls may, in like manner, 
be called holy spirits. How does it come to 
pass, then, that a name common to several 
should be specially applied to one? It is 
that the Trinity, in its nature and in its 
Persons, is a Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, as 
the first Person has the proper name of 


350 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

Father, and the second that of Son, we leave 
to the third the common name of Holy 
Spirit, to distinguish Him from the others, 
and to make His operations understood. It 
is also true that the angels and blessed souls 
are holy spirits ; but being simple creatures, 
they are holy only by grace; whereas, the 
Holy Spirit is holy by nature, and the very 
Source of holiness. It is, therefore, with 
the utmost reason that we name Him the 
Holy Spirit, or the Holy Ghost, the mean- 
ing of which is the same. 

The name of the Holy Spirit, like the 
names of the Father and the Son, comes 
not from men, but from God. We owe our 
knowledge of it to the Scripture, which re- 
peats it more than three hundred times, as 
well in the Old as in the New Testament. 
Moreover, this name, as we have just pointed 
out, serves admirably to express the opera- 
tions of the Holy Ghost. Faith teaches us 
that all the outward operations- of God, with 
the exception of the Incarnation, are com- 
mon to the three Persons of the Blessed 
Trinity. Hence the Father, the Son, and 
the Holy Ghost are equally the Creators 
and Preservers of the world, the Sanctifiers 
and Rewarders of men. Yet to the Father 
we especially attribute works of power ; to 
the Son, those of wisdom; to the Holy 
Ghost, those of love. 


351 


Gome , Holy Ghost . 

Now, as the sanctification of souls, and 
the Church, — which is the visible instrument 
thereof, — are the most splendid works of the 
love of God toward us, we attribute them to 
the Holy Ghost, the eternal love of the 
Father and the Son. In point of fact, if 
you search the Scriptures, you will see that 
the Holy Grhost presides over every work of 
sanctification, as well as over the formation 
and government of the Church. To confine 
ourselves to the law of Grace, it is the Holy 
Ghost who forms the Church, who changes 
the Apostles into new men, who bestows on 
the faithful a variety of supernatural gifts. 
He directs the Apostles in their travels. He 
presides over the councils. He strengthens 
the martyrs, and inspires them with those 
amazing answers that close the mouths of 
tyrants. He vivifies souls by the sacra- 
ments, and sanctifies them by a communica- 
tion of His interior graces. This is the 
reason why the Church, and, in the Church, 
all Christians nations and associations, never 
fail to invoke the Holy Ghost on important 
occasions, when there is question of dissipat- 
ing the darkness that has been thrown like 
a pall over our souls by the devil and sin, 
or of removing the difficulties that interfere 
with the work of our sanctification. 


352 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

O my Hod, who art all love, I thank Thee 
for having fore-warned me of Thy terrible 
judgments ; penetrate my soul with a filial 
fear and a tender love toward Thee, that, 
keeping myself united to the New Adam, 
during life, I may deserve to be united to 
Him during eternity. Amen. 



LXXXVII. 


The Gifts of the Holy Ghost, and the Sins 
Opposed to Them. 

If we live in the Spirit, let 
us also walk in the Spirit. 

Cal. 5: 25. 

Consulting the pages of Father Gaume, 
we are further told, that: — 

Having explained that which concerns 
the personality of the Holy Ghost, it re- 
mains for us to speak of His Gifts and His 
Fruits, that is, some of His favors to and 
operations in souls. 

We distinguish seven Gifts and twelve 
Fruits of the Holy Ghost. The former, 
mentioned by the Prophet Isaias, (11: 2, 3), 
are, Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, For- 
titude, Knowledge, Piety, and the Fear of 
the Lord. To be familiar with the order 
which we are about to follow in the explana- 
tion of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost, and to 
appreciate the value of these most excellent 
gifts, there are four things to be remarked. 

The first, that the prophet Isaias, in 
enumerating the Gifts of the Holy Ghost, 
(353) 


354 


Come, Holy Ghost . 

begins with the most noble and descends to 
the least noble. So that the Gifts of the 
Holy Ghost are like the steps of a ladder, of 
which the lowest is the Fear of God. Be- 
ginning there, we ascend to the highest, 
which is Wisdom. 

The second, that all the Gifts of the Holy 
Ghost are necessary to salvation, that they 
are inseparable, that they are lost by mortal 
sin, and that they are recoverable by penance. 
This, by the way, is the reason why the 
number seven is so often repeated in the 
canonical penances and in indulgences 
granted by the Church. 

The third, that the Gifts of the Holy 
Ghost are not passing motions, but super- 
natural habits, which render us docile to the 
inspirations of grace, and advance us in 
perfection. “Our soul,” says St. Thomas, 
‘ ‘is guided by the Holy Ghost inasmuch as 
it is in some manner united to Him. The 
first union of man with God is effected by 
Faith, Hope and Charity; so that these 
virtues are like roots of the Gifts of the 
Holy Ghost. This is the reason why all 
the Gifts pertain to these three virtues, 
from which they seem to take their rise.” 

The fourth, that the Seven Gifts of the 
Holy Ghost are opposed the Seven Capital 
or Deadly Sins. “The Seven Gifts of the 


355 


Come , Roly Ghost. 

Holy Ghost,” says St. Antonius, “are the 
seven spirits sent into the world against the 
seven evils spirits of which the Gospel 
speaks. The Gift of Fear is opposed to 
Pride ; the Gift of Counsel to Covetousness ; 
the Gift of Wisdom to Lust; the Gift of 
Understanding to Gluttony; the Gift of 
Piety to Envy; the Gift of Knowledge to 
Anger; and the Gift of Fortitude to Sloth.” 

This luminous view of the great doctor 
acquaints us at once with the deep need that 
existed for the Seven Gifts of the Holy 
Ghost, and the important place that they 
occupy in the general plan of human re- 
demption . Since the primal fall, two spirits 
have been flitting over the world, and over 
every man coming into the world. These two 
Spirits are the Holy Spirit and the Wicked 
Spirit, the Spirit of God and the Spirit of 
Evil, God and the Devil. Willingly or un- 
willingly, we must of necessity live under 
the influence of one or the other. Accord- 
ing as we are guided by the Holy Ghost or 
by Satan, we shall become saints or repro- 
bates. 

Our Lord reveals to us that the Wicked 
Spirit is accompanied by seven other spirits 
more wicked than himself. These spirits 
are known to us by their names and their 
works. By their names they pass in human 


356 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

language as the Spirit of Pride, the Spirit 
of Covetousness, the Spirit of Lust, the 
Spirit of Gluttony, the Spirit of Envy, the 
Spirit of Anger, and the Spirit of Sloth. 
By their works they are the inspirers and 
abettors of all public and private sins and 
disorders, — consequently, of all the evils of 
the world. 

It is evident that man left to himself is 
too weak to resist this Spirit: witness the 
conduct of individuals and peoples that with- 
draw themselves from the influence of the 
Holy Spirit. Hence, revelation shows the 
Holy Spirit coming to the aid of man, with 
seven Powers opposed to the seven Powers 
of the Evil Spirit. These seven helping 
Spirits are, in like manner, known to us by 
their names and their works. By their 
names, they pass in Catholic language as 
the Spirit of the Fear of God, the Spirit of 
Counsel, the Spirit of Wisdom, the Spirit of 
Understanding, the Spirit of Piety, the 
Spirit of Knowledge, and the Spirit of 
Fortitude. By their works they are the in- 
spirers and promoters of every thing good 
in the world, so that there is nothing of any 
worth which we must not attribute to them. 
We now behold the Holy Spirit who hovers 
over the world and over everyone of us. 

To reduce the whole matter to a few 


357 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

words: fallen man is an invalid suffering 
from seven mortal ulcers, or a wounded 
soldier surrounded by seven furious enemies. 
The Spirit with the Seven Gifts becomes 
the great Physician of the unfortunate in- 
valid, the powerful Helper of the wounded 
soldier. How can we convey a clearer idea 
of the knowledge of the Seven Gifts of the 
Holy Ghost, inspire a higher esteem for 
them, and excite in every breast a stronger 
desire of possessing them, and a livelier fear 
of losing them? 

(The author then gives an explanation of 
the Seven Gifts, which is omitted here in- 
asmuch as it will be given later on from 
other writers.) 


O my God, who art all love, I thank Thee 
for having instituted the Sacraments, which 
are like so many fountains of grace. I thank 
Thee for having given me birth in Thy Holy 
Church in Baptism and for strengthening 
me in Confirmation. Amen. 


LXXXVIII. 

The Fruits of the Holy Ghost, and the Vices 
Opposed to Them. 

Walk in the Spirit, and you 
shall not fulfil the lusts of the 
flesh. Gal. 5: 16. 

Our author, continuing his explanation 
of the Eighth Article of the Creed, comes 
to the Fruits of the Holy Grhost of which 
he says: — 

When the soul, assisted by the Seven 
Gifts of the Holy Ghost, or, more correctly, 
by the Septiform Spirit, has fought vic- 
toriously, it is only proper that it should 
reap the benefits of its victory. The first 
of these is Order. Order is the parent of 
peace; peace with God, peace with the 
neighbor, peace with yourself. Hence 
come the Beatitudes. They, as far as the 
trials of life permit it, banish from the soul 
those interior and exterior pains which tor- 
ment the majority of men. 

The second is the enjoyment of the 
Fruits of the Holy Ghost. G-lorious is the 
fruit of good labors, according to the saying 
of the Scripture. Now, as there are no 
( 358 ) 


359 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

better labors than those which take place in 
the vast field of a spiritual life, to those 
labors correspond the fruits of the Holy 
Ghost. We call them so, because they 
bring to the heart of man the same sweet- 
ness and pleasure which the fruit of a good 
tree brings to the mouth. The fruits of 
the Holy Ghost are twelve in number, and 
are pointed out to us by St. Paul (Gal. 5: 
22, 23) : Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, 
Benignity, Goodness, Longanimity, Mild- 
ness, Faith, Continency, Chustity. 

These delicious Fruits give the soul that 
nourishes itself with them a foretaste of 
that which contains them all, the fruit of 
eternal life. Let the end of life come, and 
the Christian, deified by the Holy Spirit, 
enters, into the possession of this incom- 
parable fruit, the sight, taste, and enjoy- 
ment of which will inundate his faculties 
with ineffable delights ; for this fruit shall 
be God Himself, seen, tasted and possessed, 
without a shadow of fear, and with a bound- 
less love. Such is the marvelous inter- 
twinement of Virtues, Gifts, Beatitudes and 
Fruits, whose end is the deification of man. 

Are the perfections and happiness of a 
soul, a nation, a society, in which the Holy 
Ghost dwells and works, now understood? 
Do we perceive how important it is for in- 


360 Come , Holy Ghost . 

dividuals and peoples to know the Holy 
Ghost, to love Him, to place themselves 
under His influence, to yield themselves to 
His action, and never to grieve Him? 

The necessity and importance of these 
duties will be still more apparent if we 
reflect on the effects produced in souls, in 
nations, in societies, by the Evil Spirit, 
which flits over the world, and which 
assumes the sway of it as soon as it ceases 
to live under the influence of the Holy 
Spirit. When a soul, a family, a society 
allows itself to be overcome by the seven 
powers of the wicked Spirit, it is not slow 
to reap the fruits of its laxity and defeat. 
These Fruits of Death , called by St. Paul 
“the works of the flesh, ” are very different 
indeed from the Fruits of the Holy Ghost. 
Let us give, in the words of this Apostle, 
their frightful enumeration: Fornication, 
Uncleanness, Immodesty, Luxury, Idolatry, 
Witchcrafts, Enmities, Contentions, Emu- 
lations, Wraths, Quarrels, Dissentions, 
Sects, Envies, Murders, Drunkenness, Be- 
vellings, and other like things. 

What can become of the soul in which 
all these ferocious beasts meet, as in their 
lair? What must become of nations on 
which they are let loose? That which we 
know, because we see it with our eyes, is 


361 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

that the habit of these iniquitous works 
leads souls, families, societies, to various 
stages of an indescribable restlessness, the 
source of monstrous outrages and revolu- 
tions, in which the passions find their 
bloody and ignoble joy. Now, Infernal 
Beatitudes of this kind constitute the misery 
of this world, and prepare the way for the 
supreme misery of the next. Such are the 
lines on which men walk, according as they 
live under the influence of the Holy or of 
the Evil Spirit. 

To sum up the whole doctrine of our 
sanctification by the Holy Ghost, we shall 
avail ourselves of the thoughts of St. Tho- 
mas, and say: Far from destroying nature, 
grace perfects it, by communicating to it 
Faith, Hope, and Charity. This divine sap 
is set in motion by the Holy Grhost, like the 
sap of a tree by the heat of the rays of the 
sun. The result of this supernatural action 
is the Fruits of the Holy Grhost. The pos- 
session of the Fruits of the Holy Grhost, 
leads to the Beatitudes, the foretaste of a 
blessed eternity, in which deified man be- 
comes happy with the happiness, and per- 
fect with the perfection of God Himself. 
Just as in a tree, the motion of the sap is 
directed toward the fruit, or, if I may so 
speak, toward the happiness of the tree, 


362 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

since it attains the end for which it was 
created. How lovely is this divine vegeta- 
tion ! But what deep thoughts does it in- 
spire. What sort of trees are we, what sap 
circulates in our souls? What are the fruits 
we bear? What are we to think of society 
in general? 

Let all men, then, believe this eighth 
article of the Creed, and in accordance with 
their faith, show themselves to be guided 
by the Holy Spirit ; and the world, and the 
family, and society shall be saved. For, 
right reason, soundness of judgment, 
purity of morals, shall then succeed to the 
contrary disorders, and the spirit of good- 
ness shall everywhere take the place of the 
spirit of wickedness. 


0 my God, who art all love, I thank Thee 
for having sanctified me by the Holy Ghost ; 
grant me the grace to be ever docile to the 
inspirations of this Spirit of light and love. 
I am resolved to love G-od above all things, 
and my neighbor as myself for the love of 
God ; and in testimony of this, I will never 
grieve the Holy Ghost. Amen. 


LXXXIX. 

The Consolations of the Holy Ghost. 

The God of hope fill you with 
joy and peace in believing. 

Rom. 15: 13. 

The Yen. Louis of Granada, as quoted in 
Hepertorium Oratoris Sacri , under the head 
of “The Consolations of the Holy Ghost”, 
writes: — 

Jesus Christ calls the Holy Ghost the 
Paraclete , a name often ascribed to the 
Holy Ghost. Indeed by this name His 
office is best signified, — the function of con- 
soling Christians. Let me invite your at- 
tention to this subject. 

Why does the Holy Ghost console good 
Christians? He consoles them especially for 
two reasons: 1. Because they have to suffer 
many tribulations on earth. This we know 
from holy Scripture. St. Paul says: “All 
who will live piously in Christ Jesus, sh&ll 
suffer persecution.” We know it also from 
the lives of the saints. Call to mind the 
indescribable sufferings of the martyrs, the 
( 363 ) 


364 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

persecution of the confessors of Christ. 
We know it, too, from daily experience. 
How great are the afflictions of the just. 
The words of David apply to them at all 
times: L ‘Many are the afflictions of the 
just.” Therefore divine Providence 
strengthens the just by spiritual consola- 
tions, that they may not succumb under 
the burden of so many tribulations. God 
does not withhold such consolations. 
“For,” says St. Paul, “as the sufferings of 
Christ abound in us ; so also by Christ doth 
our comfort abound.” 

In the second place the Holy Ghost con- 
soles us that he may withhold us from 
fleshly, sensual pleasures. The human 
heart cannot be long without joy. And 
that the just man may be able to renounce 
merely earthly pleasures, the Holy Ghost 
pours into his heart perceptible consolation, 
the dignity and purity of which are so great, 
that all the pleasures of the world cannot 
come in comparison with it. 

The sources of the spiritual joy and con- 
solation of the Holy Ghost are: 1. The 
theological virtues. The light of faith is 
enkindled in our mind by the Holy Ghost, 
who, by inspiring within us a knowledge of 
the beauty of our faith consoles us in our 
pilgrimage. The Apostle prayed for this 


365 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

gift of understanding when he said: “The 
God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in 
believing. 77 The hope of the Christian soul 
is sometimes so great, that it seems already 
to be in possession of heaven. The Holy 
Ghost inflames divine love in our hearts. 
As fire mounts on high when the wind 
blows, so love is inflamed by the breath of 
the Holy Ghost, so as to fill the soul with 
ineffable joy. 2. Mental prayer. It is in 
itself well calculated to fill the heart with 
joy. For, to him that loves nothing is 
more attractive than to converse with, and 
to remember the object of his affections. 3. 
The testimony of a good conscience. For, 
although “man knoweth not whether he is 
deserving of love or hatred, 77 yet there are 
certain signs which may calm our troubled 
mind. “For the Spirit giveth testimony 
to our spirit, that we are the sons of God. 77 
The dignity of the children of God is so 
exalted, that even a well-founded hope, 
although it is not without fear, imparts to a 
pious mind a great joy, especially on our 
death-bed. St. Ambrose said: “I have not 
lived such a life that I am a shamed of it ; 
nor do I fear to die, since we have a good 
Shepherd, 77 4. The special privileges of 
the children of God. It is easier to count 
the stars of heaven, than those privileges. 


366 


Come , Holy Ghost . 


God protects His children as the apple of 
his eye ; no hair falls from their head with- 
out His will. The eyes of his mercy are 
always opened upon them, His ears always 
inclined to their prayer. He has com- 
manded His angels to protect them. 


Lord Jesus Christ, who wast conducted 
as a criminal to the house of Annas, 
grant that I may never suffer myself 
to be led into sin, by the temptations 
of the evil spirit, or the evil suggestions of 
my fellow creatures, but that I may be 
securely guided by Thy divine Spirit in the 
perfect accomplishment of Thy holy or- 
dinances. Amen. 



xc. 

riary, the Holy Ghost and the Priesthood. 

Thou art a priest for ever ac- 
cording to the order of Melchi- 
sedech. Ps. 109: 4. 

Commenting on the Holy Grhost and the 
Priesthood, Father Fiege writes in The 
Paraclete : — 

You are a priest forever, according to 
the order of Melchisedech. But to whom 
do you owe this exalted dignity? Who first 
inspired you with the thought of consecrat- 
ing yourself to GJ-od’s service in the sacred 
priesthood? Who encouraged and aided 
you to follow this divine call, until that 
solemn moment when the words were ad- 
dressed to you : “ Receive the Holy Grhost , 7 7 
and when you rose with the indelible mark 
of the Eternal Priesthood stamped upon 
your soul? And what comforted you in 
the discharge of the arduous duties of the 
sacred ministry? No other than the Holy 
Grhost, who has communicated Himself to 
you in a very special manner to make you 
a priest of the Most High. 


368 Come , Holy Ghost . 

Oh, who can ever fathom the sublime 
dignity of the priesthood. Great beyond 
conception is Mary’s dignity, as Mother of 
the Son of God made man. But that of 
the priest closely approaches hers. Through 
Mary’s instrumentality Jesus Christ, the 
Bedeemer was given to men. Through the 
instrumentality of the priest the same 
Saviour is born, so to speak, afresh, each 
day, sacramentally upon the altar, and 
spiritually, in the hearts of the faithful. 
Mary enjoyed the privilege of carrying in 
her arms the Son of God, made man; the 
priest tremblingly holds in his hands each 
day the same Son of God made man, hid- 
den under the lowly forms of bread and 
wine, and offers Him in sacrifice to God, 
for the living and the dead, and distributes 
Him as food, for the spiritual refreshment 
of the soul. And in either case the mystery 
is performed by the operation of the Holy 
Ghost. As the Holy Ghost overshadowed 
Mary, and produced within her the Sacred 
Humanity of Jesus Christ, so He over- 
shadows the priest, and makes him the in- 
strument of reproducing Jesus Christ in 
the Blessed Sacrament of the altar and in 
the hearts of the faithful. 

The Holy Ghost, to a certain extent, 
communicates to the priest His own divine 


369 


Come, Holy Ghost . 

office. It is the office of the Holy Ghost to 
apply to the souls of men the infinite merits 
of J esus Christ ; yet this He ordinarily does 
through the instrumentality of the priest by 
the administration of the sacraments. It 
is the office of the Holy Ghost to enlighten, 
guide and safe-guard the souls of men on 
the road to heaven; but this, again, He or- 
dinarily does through the instrumentality 
of the priest, who is divinely appointed to 
direct and govern men in all matters relat- 
ing to the eternal welfare of their immortal 
souls. It is the office of the Holy Ghost to 
be in a special manner the Paraclete, the 
Comforter, to gladden the souls of men in 
their sojourn through this valley of tears. 
And what is the priest of God but another 
Paraclete ; a true comforter, making known 
the glad tidings of salvation ; dispensing the 
sweet consolations of religion to all who are 
weighed down with sin and sorrow, who 
are harrassed with doubt and fear, and 
afflicted with the troubles and misfortunes 
of this life. 

The outpouring of the gifts of the Holy 
Ghost in the soul of the priest is so 
abundant, that the Holy Ghost may in all 
truth be said to communicate Himself en- 
tirely to the priest with the fullness of His 
treasures, giving him power to produce and 


370 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

distribute divine grace in the souls of men, 
and thus beget them to a new life, even to 
life everlasting in the kingdom of heaven. 

The priesthood was instituted by Jesus 
Christ to continue His divine mission on 
earth even to the end of time. The priest, 
therefore, represents on earth the Person 
of Jesus Christ, so that He could, in truth, 
say to His priests: “He that heareth you, 
heareth Me.” The priest is, in fact, another 
Christ, and this by the power of the Holy 
Ghost ; so that each priest can apply to 
himself the words of the Prophet, written 
concerning the divine Redeemer: “The 
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the 
Lord hath annointed me. He hath sent 
me to preach to the meek, to heal the con- 
trite of heart, to preach a release to the 
captives and deliverance to them that are 
shut up ; to proclaim the acceptable year of 
the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our 
God; to comfort all that mourn.” 

Blessed is the priest whose soul is awake 
to the special operation of the Holy Ghost 
within him, and whose heart is all on fire 
with special devotion for His divine Person, 
on account of the extraordinary gifts and 
favors received from Him ; for he will more 
fully recognize his exalted dignity ; he will 
labor more zealously and diligently in the 


371 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

vineyard of the Lord ; and his efforts will 
not fail to be crowned with a more plenti- 
ful harvest of souls, and a more abundant 
reward for himself. 

Blessed the priest in whose flock the 
Spirit of God is known, honored and loved 
in a special manner. The more the Holy 
Ghost is known by the faithful, the more 
shall they increase in faith and piety. The 
more the Holy Ghost is honored and in- 
voked by them, the better will they under- 
stand the preaching of the gospel, and the 
more readily obey its precepts. The more 
the Holy Ghost is loved by them, the greater 
will be their zeal for God’s greater glory 
and the spread of His divine kingdom. 


O Divine Spirit of Love. Uncreated, 
Substantial Love of the Father and of the 
Son. Do Thou, who art a consuming fire, 
burn up within my sinful soul whatever is 
displeasing to Thee, and do Thou enkindle 
within my cold heart the fire of that burn- 
ing love, which Jesus, my Saviour, came 
to cast upon the earth. Amen. 


XCI. 

Removing the Obstacles to the Coming of the 
Holy Ghost. 

If any man thirst, let him 
come to Me and drink. 

St. John 7: 33. 

In his Meditations for the use of the Secular 
Clergy , the Jesuit Father Chaignon says, 
under the head of preparation for the Feast 
of Pentecost : — 

The good priest removes the obstacles to 
the visit of the Holy Grhost. Sin, the spirit 
of the world, sentiments sensual or too 
human. 

I. Sin is the great enemy of the Holy 
Grhost. It grieves Him and obliges Him to 
withdraw His light from us; it weakens, or 
destroys the charity which that Spirit had 
poured into our hearts ; it is contrary to all 
His designs. Our first care, therefore, in 
these days of preparation should be to strive 
against sin, the stain of which cannot be 
reconciled with the purity of Him who is, in 
a manner, the personification of holiness. 
( 372 ) 


373 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

The contrition which he inspires, is as the 
first step of the Holy Ghost toward us, to 
prepare us for His visit. We grieve Him 
by our ingratitude. He grieves us with a 
wholesome remorse. He opens the eyes of 
a soul that did not perceive its infidelities, 
or used to consider them as a matter of little 
account. He reminds this priest, His min- 
ister and His friend, of a whole fife full of 
negligence, if not of crime. He asks of him 
if he ought not to grieve bitterly for the 
faults which he continued to commit, after 
so many pardons already granted him. He 
thus excites him to purify his soul with tears 
of contrition. 

II. The spirit of the world is another 
obstacle to the presence and reign of the 
Holy Ghost. u What fellowship hath light 
with darkness,” asks St. Paul, addressing 
the Corinthians? Wherefore Jesus Christ 
praying to His Father to send the Holy 
Ghost to His disciples, to sanctify them in 
truth, represents that they are not of the 
world, as He is not of the world ; that He 
chose them out of the world ; that He prays 
not for the world ; which is incapable of re- 
ceiving this spirit of truth because it seeth 
Him not. The appreciation of the world, 
and that of the Holy Ghost, is diametrically 
opposed; the same, says St. Bernard, is true 


374 


Come, Holy Ghost . 

of the sentiments which they inspire. 0 
priest of God, forget not that yonr character 
demands of you to struggle against and to 
destroy the spirit of the world. 

III. At the sight of a corrupted world, 
God pronounced this irrevocable decree: 
that His spirit would not remain in man 
because he is flesh. The flesh and the spirit 
are two powers that are always at war ; as 
St. Paul says: “The flesh lusteth against 
the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. ” 
If we permit the flesh to govern, we are 
dead ; all of supernatural and divine life has 
left us. “But if,” as the same apostle says, 
“by the spirit you mortify the deeds of the 
flesh, you shall live.” The following words 
of the Saviour show how far disengagement 
from all human affections should extend in 
apostolic men: “If I go not the Paraclete 
will not come to you.” A strange declara- 
tion of the Son of God. What then, O holy 
Spirit? Can it be that this adorable flesh 
formed by Thyself from the most pure blood 
of Mary, should be disagreeable to Thy eyes, 
and prevent Thee from pouring the abun- 
dance of Thy gifts into souls otherwise so 
well prepared? Jesus, however, wishes to 
teach us that these men destined to sanctify 
the world, were to be deprived of His sensi- 
ble presence, and of the human joy which 


4 


Come , Roly Ghost. 375 

that presence afforded them, before being 
fit to receive the plenitude of the graces of 
the Holy Ghost. 

2. Point. Take the proper means to at- 
tract the Holy Ghost to you. These we 
find mentioned in the last words of the 
Saviour to His disciples when He was about 
to ascend to heaven; and in their faithful 
obedience to His precepts, He had said to 
them: “Stay you in the city till you be en- 
dued with virtue from above . 7 7 This was to 
recommend to them three points: To stay 
in Jerusalem, in the city; to stay there with 
a calm, quiet mind ; to persevere in their 
expectation ‘ ‘till you be endued with power 
from on high.” The apostles obey. Be- 
hold them sequestered from the world, 
living in a dwelling which, for them was 
full of solemn and holy recollections. In 
this assembly there exists the most perfect 
union, and peace is the consequence of this 
union. They all pray with the same in- 
tention ; they all pray with the same ardor. 
Eight, nine days have passed away; and 
they have not yet seen the accomplishment 
of the promise of Jesus Christ, but their 
constancy is not shaken ; they continue to 
pray. Mary was the bond of this union, 
the soul of this prayer. Ah, how powerful 
were her orisons and sighs to engage her 


376 




Come , Holy Gliost. 

holy Spouse to come down and to fill with 
His graces those who were soon to become 
His organs for the conversion of the 
universe. 

Represent to ourself Jesus in the midst 
of the Jews, standing and crying out: 
“If any man thirst let him come to Me, 
and drink : The waters which I will give 
him, shall become in him a fountain of 
water springing up into life everlasting.” 
Pray to God through the mediation of 
Mary, and let your confidence be un- 
bounded ; her intercession never fails, and 
is particularly insured in our case, when we 
ask for the gifts of the Holy Ghost, for it 
was to obtain them for us that she was 
made His spouse and given to us as a 
mother. 


O God, who didst give the Holy Spirit 
to Thy Apostles, grant to Thy people the 
effect of their pious prayers, that on those 
to whom Thou hast given grace, Thou 
mayest also bestow peace. Amen. 




XCII. 


The Priest’s Preparation for the Feast of 
Pentecost. 

Behold, I stand at the gate and 
knock. If any man shall hear my 
voice, and open to Me the door, 
I will come in to him, and will 
sup with him and he with Me. 

Apoc. 3 : 20. 

Father Chaignon, already quoted, speak- 
ing in his Sacerdotal Meditations of how a 
good priest prepares himself for the Feast 
of Pentecost, says, among other things: — 
Faith, which discovers to us the mysteries 
of the divine nature, seems to discover to 
us nothing else in it than the mysteries of 
God’s love of man. It is just, therefore, 
that we should render to each of the divine 
persons particular homage for the blessings 
we receive from Them. The season of 
Pentecost is destined for the discharge of 
this obligation toward the Holy Ghost. Do 
we sufficiently esteem and practice the de- 
votion which has for its object to honor 
directly the Third person of the blessed 
Trinity? 

( 377 ) 


378 


Come, Holy Ghost. 

I. Point. The great blessings which the 
Holy Ghost imparts to the souls which he 
visits. I represent to myself this adorable 
Spirit in the soul of a just man as a source 
of life, which through its seven admirable 
channels irrigates all its faculties, and 
makes it bear fruits of the most excellent 
virtues. They are the seven gifts of the 
Holy Grhost. These are very precious, parti- 
cularly for a priest and a pastor. St. Peter 
calls them precious promises, because they 
are the grand objects of divine promises, 
and also because they are the pledge of the 
glory promised to us. He calls them great 
and precious, because, as he says “that by 
these you might be made partakers of the 
divine nature / 7 

O Priest of God, you have received the 
Holy Ghost, but do you possess Him with 
the abundance of His gifts? If for too long 
a time through your own fault you received 
but a small measure of them, why do you 
now delay? Why do you not make the 
attainment of so great a good the sole 
object of your ambition? If you seek it 
sincerely, you will certainly find it in the 
approaching solemnities. 

II. Point. Our hope of obtaining the 
visit of the Holy Ghost is certain. This 
hope is grounded upon the very nature of the 


379 


Cone, Holy Ghost. 

Holy Ghost, upon unquestionable claims, 
upon the most positive promises. That 
which is good, says St. Thomas, seeks to 
spread and communicate itself. Now, the 
Holy Ghost is goodness itself. Through 
Him the Father and the Son love one 
another, and love us also. To Him are 
attributed works of charity. Far from 
being sparing of His treasures, His delight 
is to lavish them upon us. When, more- 
over, we ask for the visit of the Holy Grhost, 
we claim a good which is ours. It was ac- 
quired for us by the labors, sufferings and 
death of the Son of God; our claims are 
certain, but besides, we have promises 
which cannot deceive. Wherefore, the 
good priest expects with confidence, but at 
the same time continues more ardently to 
solicit the coming of the Holy Ghost within 
him. 

III. Point. He is deeply convinced that 
he needs the graces of the Holy Ghost, as 
much for himself as for his work. He 
knows the poverty of his nature, which of 
itself is prone to ignorance and sin. He 
knows that of himself he can do nothing in 
the order of salvation. He, therefore, longs 
to be endowed with that virtue from above 
which alone is able to lend effective aid to 
extreme weakness. But if every faithful 


380 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

soul needs to receive the gifts of the Holy 
Ghost, he ought to receive them with 
greater abundance on whom the obligations 
of the priesthood have been imposed. Every 
priest ought to be a Paraclete according to 
the three meanings of this word; a man 
who intercedes, who exhorts, who keeps 
up courage, or revives it when lost. 
The priest with the gospel which he 
preaches, the sacraments which he ad- 
ministers, and the graces annexed to his 
prayers, is the instrument which the Holy 
Ghost uses for His operation in the Church. 
Through the Holy Ghost the priest is the 
light of the world, and the salt of the earth ; 
through Him especially the priest is a con- 
soler, as the Apostle teaches, “who com- 
forteth us in all our tribulations, that we 
also may be able to comfort them who are 
in any distress.” 


Aures tuae pietatis, Mitissime Deus, in- 
clina precibus nostris, et gratia sancti Spir- 
itus illumina cor nostrum : ut tuis mysteriis 
digne ministrare, teque aeterna caritate 
diligere mereamur. Amen. 



XCIII. 


The Holy Ghost Sanctifying the Church 
through the Apostles and Apostolic Men. 

That which was dry land shall 
become a pool, and the thirsty 
land springs of water. 

Isaias 35 : 7. 

Continuing his meditations, Father Chaig- 
non says, regarding the sanctification of 
the Apostles and the Church: — 

I. Point. The Holy Grhost sanctifying 
the Apostles and their successors. When 
we consider what He did for the Apostles 
on the day of Pentecost, we are liable to 
bestow all our attention on the abundance 
of wonderful graces which transformed 
them suddenly into so many vessels of 
elections and made them at once ac- 
complished ministers of the G-ospel. This 
is the miraculous side of the mystery. 
It is more profitable to consider it in 
its practical aspect, by asking ourselves, 
what was the reason of a change so 
marvelous in them? It was undoubtedly 
( 381 ) 


382 Come , Holy Ghost . 

their fidelity in corresponding with all the 
graces offered them. Sudden indeed as 
was the transformation of these men, who 
were destined themselves to transform the 
world, it had, nevertheless, its increase and 
progress. We see that the Holy Grhost pre- 
pares their hearts by common graces. The 
Apostles make the best use of their graces, 
and they consequently draw down more 
copious graces. These also received im- 
mediate co-operation, and were followed by 
the bestowal of extraordinary favors. 

Jesus had told them to stay in Jerusalem, 
and their docility is rewarded by a more 
efficacious grace, which, however, is refused 
to no one, — the grace of prayer. Their 
obedience to the spirit of prayer obtains for 
them the spirit of fervor and of zeal, figured 
by those tongues of fire, which rested upon 
their heads. This is indeed an extraor- 
dinary grace. It is the result of fidelity to 
preceding graces. Being now filled with the 
Holy Grhost, they no longer try to control 
the fire that burns within them. They 
speak, they publish aloud the wonderful 
works of Glod. To holy words they unite 
good works. With almost incredible hard- 
ships they found the Church, and their 
fidelity to those ever-increasing graces ob- 
tains for them the crowning grace of all, 


383 


Come , Roly Ghost . 

namely, the grace to suffer and die for 
Jesus Christ. Thus is the character of 
saints formed, and thus the character of 
holy priests is moulded on that of the 
Apostles. 

Such is the ordinary action of the Holy 
Ghost in the sanctification of apostolic men. 
He proportions the bestowal of His graces 
upon its use. In the beginning it is mere 
dew, falling drop by drop ; but when re- 
ceived with gratitude and carefully pre- 
served, it becomes an abundant rain which 
brings forth fruits of solid virtue and emi- 
nent perfection. I, alas, clearly see the 
cause of the barrenness of grace within me. 
I have often celebrated the feast of Pente- 
cost, and yet I am so little acquainted with 
the ways of the Holy Ghost. This would 
not be the case had I turned His gifts to 
advantage, and always followed His in- 
spirations. 

II. Point. The Holy Ghost sanctifying 
the Church with the co-operation of the 
Apostles and apostolic men. The words of 
fire which issue from the mouths of the 
Apostles, enlighten, inflame and change sud- 
denly a great number of those blinded, 
hardened Jews; and as soon as they have 
professed the faith, they are scarcely recog- 
nizable; the transformation is complete. 


384 Come , Holy Ghost. 

And from Jerusalem, wherein strangers 
from every nation had assembled, the voice 
of the Apostles resounded through the 
world. 

There is nothing so worthy of admiration 
through all the ages of the Church, as this 
continuous action of the Spirit, sanctifying 
the people through the clergy, the flocks 
through their pastors, and sometimes whole 
nations through one priest replete with 
apostolic zeal. Consider what God ac- 
complished through the Dominies, the 
Francis Xaviers, the Vincent Ferriers, the 
Anthonies of Padua. We are the dispen- 
sers of His grace, the instruments which he 
uses to introduce truth into the minds, and 
charity into the hearts of people. We re- 
received Him in ordination, not so much 
for the sake of the obligation imposed on 
us. We obtain His grace by prayer; we 
impart this grace to others in the admini- 
stration of the sacraments. Reflect* how 
you respond to the desire He has to save 
and sanctify souls through your labors. 
And since you have the honor of being as- 
sociated with Him through the communi- 
cation of His gifts, you should co-operate 
with a great deal of charity and meekness, 
in this work of mercy. Ask yourself, there- 
fore, if you fervently invoke Him at the be- 


385 • 


Come , Holy Ghost . 


ginning of your principal actions, particu- 
larly at the beginning of your ministerial 
labors, under the full conviction that with- 
out Him you can do nothing. Ask yourself 
if you give up your own ideas in order to be 
guided by the Spirit of Hod alone in imi- 
tation of His true servants. u Whosoever 
are led by the Spirit of Grod, they are the 
sons of Grod.” 


May the infusion of the Holy Spirit 
cleanse our hearts, O Lord, and render them 
fruitful by the inward watering of His 
heavenly dew. Through our Lord Jesus 
Christ, etc. Amen. 




XCIV. 

The Holy Ghost the Source of Consolation 
for the Good Priest. 

Now, the Church was filled with 
the consolation of the Holy Ghost. 

Acts. 9 : 31. 

Conscious of the truth that every one, 
no matter what his dignity or position, 
stands at times in need of consolation, 
Father Chaignon has favored us with a 
meditation on the consolations of the Holy 
(xhost, from which the following are selec- 
tions : — 

I. Point. The Holy Gihost is our con- 
soler. Not to speak of the gift of a good 
conscience which the Scriptures compare to 
a continuous feast, and which is also a fruit 
of the Holy G-host, this holy Spirit also 
gives us two other gifts which impart much 
consolation. Through the first He en- 
lightens our minds regarding Jesus Christ ; 
throught the second He teaches us what we 
ourselves are in Jesus Christ. The descent 
of the Holy Ghost was to the Apostles, as 
( 386 ) 


387 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

it were, a new revelation concerning Jesus 
Christ and His mysteries. If hitherto they 
had known Him in the flesh, they hence- 
forth knew Him in a manner incomparably 
more perfect. The same must be said in 
regard to us. There is a great distance be- 
tween common faith and the faith which 
has received the enlightenment of the Holy 
Ghost. When a soul by means of these 
gifts has gained the pre-eminent knowledge 
of the charity of Jesus Christ; when it 
measures, so to say, the breadth, and 
length, and height and depth, of His love 
for us, she finds therein an inexhaustible 
source of consolations for every situation in 
which she may find herself. The second 
gift which the Holy Ghost gives us, is 
equally fit to enable our hearts to expand ; 
and this is, that we are the children of God, 
and consequently His heirs, brothers and 
co-heirs with Christ. “For the Spirit Him- 
self gives testimony to our Spirit, that we 
are the sons of God ; and if sons, heirs also; 
heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs with 
Christ . ” (Rom. 8: 16, 17.) We have re- 
ceived the spirit of adoption. We may in- 
deed lose the inheritance of our heavenly 
Father ; and this thought caused the saints 
to tremble. We can also secure it for our- 
selves, because it has been acquired for us, 


388 


Come, Holy Ghost . 

and because we already possess a guarantee 
of it, which is the Holy Grhost Himself, as 
St. Paul says: “ You were signed with the 
Holy Spirit of promise who is the pledge of 
our inheritance.” Wherefore, the soul 
which is careful to preserve this precious 
earnest, moderates her fears, or even 
banishes them entirely, through the charity 
of Glod which is in her: “Perfect charity 
casteth out fear. ” She therefore, rests in 
peace in the bosom of her Father. The 
confidence of that soul is the cause of her 
happiness. The Holy Grhost, to induce her 
to forget herself, makes known to her the 
corruption of her nature, and its peccability. 
He at the same time shows her so clearly the 
power of Grod, His fidelity to His promises, 
goodness and tenderness for those who in- 
voke and love Him, that her vivid faith 
gives a substance and reality to that which 
is as yet a mere hope. 

The Holy Grhost affords us consolation 
even by His very reprimands. He con- 
tinues this struggle in the faithful, but par- 
ticularly in priests. He tries to extirpate 
the remnants of the spirit of the world, 
which is prolific of sin, injustice and lying. 
Now, to be entirely free from it, we must 
have attained perfection. He, therefore, 
complains to us of our voluntary infidelities 


389 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

which offend His infinite holiness. He com- 
plains of our pretended good works in 
which there are to be found so many de- 
fects, perhaps so many selfish motives. He 
complains of our false judgments. 

II. Point. For whom are the consola- 
tions of the Holy Ghost? They alone are 
comforted who are in affliction. “Blessed 
are they that weep, for they shall be com- 
forted.” The consolations of the Holy 
Ghost are ordinarily the reward of generosity 
which is ready to sacrifice every thing 
for the glory of God. The Apostles were 
beaten with rods for preaching Jesus Christ, 
and “they went from the presence of the 
council rejoicing that they were thought 
worthy to suffer reproach for the name of 
Jesus.” The first Christians by embracing 
the faith resigned themselves to sufferings 
and death; and St. Luke speaks only of 
the consolations with which they were filled, 
“now, the Church was filled with the con- 
solations of the Holy Ghost.” 

We may distinguish three visits of the 
Holy Ghost. Visits of compassion to cure 
us ; in these He strives against the blindness 
of our mind, and the hardness of our heart. 
Visits of trial to purify us.. He desires to 
dwell within our souls ; but if He sees them 
governed by mere human nature, sensuality, 


390 Come , Holy Ghost . 

selfishness, He allows us to feel the weight 
of our miseries, to oblige us to have re- 
course to Him. Visits of friendship and of 
affection which may unite us to God more 
intimately, and give us courage to suffer 
not only with patience, but also with joy. 
The two first of these visits prepare us for 
the third one. The more docility we have 
for the Holy Ghost, the better disposed we 
are to receive the abundance of His con- 
solations. We are still, it is true, in the 
possession of His gifts ; but we hold them 
bound, as it were, through our dissipation 
of mind, our irregular affections, our 
numerous infidelities. We resist, we grieve 
the Holy Ghost; of this He complains. 
How then could we expect Him to console 
us? Let us purify our hearts by vigilance 
and mortification; fervor and charity will 
develop in us, and we will soon experience 
how sweet is the Lord. 


Deus, cui omne cor patet, et omnis vo- 
luntas loquitur, et quern nullum latet secre- 
tum : purifica per infusionem sancti Spiritus 
cogitationes cordis nostri; ut te perfecte 
dilegere, et digne laudare mereamur. Amen. 






K7f 




XCY. 


Jesus Christ Gives the Holy Ghost to the 
Apostles. 

Come, Spirit, and blow upon 
these slain, and let them live 
again. Ezechiel 37 : 9. 

Mgr. Scotti, Archbishop of Thessalonica, 
in his excellent and practical work Medi- 
tations for the Use of the Clergy , — so highly 
commended by the late Cardinal Manning, 
— says, in his meditation for the Tuesday 
of the first week after Easter: — 

He breathed on them . Jesus breathed 
upon His Apostles when He instituted them 
ministers of the Sacrament of Penance. 
By this action He clearly signified the 
nature of the Holy Spirit, who proceeds not 
only from the Father, but also from the 
Son ; and further signified that He was the 
same who breathed into the face of man 
the breath of life, so that man became a 
living soul. It was a sign, also, of the like 
power, which He has imparted to his priests, 
( 391 ) 


392 Come , Holy Ghost. 

to pronounce with, the breath of their lips 
the words Ego te absolvo , — I absolve thee; 
for then the sinner who was dead to grace 
becomes by the power of the Holy Ghost 
“a living soul”; then the breath of the 
Holy Spirit “blots out the dark cloud of 
sins”; then is charity infused into the 
heart, giving form to faith and perfection 
to hope ; and from these roots spring the 
gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is certain that 
he who by absolution recovers charity, re- 
covers, together with it, all the gifts of the 
Holy Spirit ; for he who has charity has all 
the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Hence the 
priest, who is the minister of reconciliation, 
ought to be full of the Holy Ghost, and of 
charity, in order that he may, as it were, 
breathe these gifts into his penitents, so as 
to incite them to true Penance. Experience 
shows that priests thus gifted are those who 
move to compunction, convert and sanctify, 
the greatest sinners. 

Beceiveye the Holy Ghost. This ceremony, 
and these words of our Saviour, were re- 
peated over our heads by the bishop at our 
ordination. Then was the Holy Ghost 
given to us, to impart to us the grace, 
gratis data , of remitting sins, and also to 
supply the special light necessary for so 
great a work. The Angelical Doctor ob- 


393 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

serves that, four of the gifts of the Holy 
G-host belong to the intellect, and three to 
the will. Thus, as regards the first four, 
we easily perceive that, in order to learn 
the truth, the speculative faculty is per- 
fected by means of the understanding, the 
practical by means of counsel; while in 
order to form a right judgment, the spe- 
culative faculty must be perfected by means 
of wisdom, the practical by means of know- 
ledge. These gifts are connected together, 
and, so to speak, reciprocally minister to 
each other. The good confessor perceives 
by the gift of Understanding the manifold 
methods of grace for calling the penitent, 
for putting him in the right way, for mak- 
ing him correspond with it, for keeping 
him from straying out of it. By the gift 
of Counsel, even in cases of greatest diffi- 
culty, he removes him from dangers, takes 
away obstacles, chooses means for per- 
severence in good, and progress in virtue. 
By the gift of Wisdom he proposes to him- 
self no other end than God; turning his 
attention neither to ambitious, wordly nor 
sensual objects. By the gift of Knowledge 
he discovers the secrets of the conscience, 
unveils the snares of the devil, and dis- 
sipates all illusions, errors and scruples, 
into which the penitent may fall. Without 


394 Come , Holy Ghost . 

these divine lights a confessor is blind and 
groping ; he will be as one of those false 
prophets, “that see vain things, and that 
divine lies ; they shall not be in the counsel 
of My people. ” Never, therefore, let us 
enter the confessional without first invoking 
the Holy Spirit. 

Receive ye the Holy Ghost. The gifts of 
the Holy Spirit are especially needed for 
the will ; in order that they may be in us 
principles of moral virtues; and in order 
that we may merit by this labor an eternal 
reward by proposing to ourselves a super- 
natural end. For by the gift of Fortitude, 
the confessor will reprove sinners when 
there is need, refuse absolution to those 
who are not disposed, will be superior to 
human respect, will endure weariness, bit- 
terness, annoyance, sorrow, troubles, and 
all the trials inseparable from this ministry. 
By the gift of Piety, he will implore of Grod 
light and strength for himself and for his 
penitents; he will teach them pious exer- 
cises suitable to their state, he will instruct 
them in the practice of meditation on the 
great truths of religion, and will assist in 
detaching them from the pleasures of the 
world, so that they may taste the sweetness 
of piety, and experience that “godliness is 
profitable to all things.” Lastly, by the 


395 


Come , Holy Ghost. 


gift of the Fear of the Lord, he will learn 
to disregard the false and perverse judg- 
ments of men, and to fear only lest he be 
an unfaithful dispenser of the Blood of 
Jesus Christ. Let us, then, resolve that 
we will not trust to our own light, our own 
hope, our own virtue, for hearing confes- 
sions ; but in holy Mass let us implore the 
gifts of the Holy Spirit. . 


Ure igne sancti Spiritus renes nostros et 
cor nostrum, Domine: ut tibi casto corpore 
serviamus, et mundo corde placeamus. 
Amen. 



XCYI. 

The Apostles in Prayer with Mary. 

All these were persevering with 
one mind in prayer, with the 
women, and Mary, the Mother of 
Jesus. Acts 1:14. 

In the meditation for the eve of Pente- 
cost, Mgr. Scotti gives the following points, 
among others: — 

In prayer with Mary . St. Bernard is 
amazed that, in the company of the 
Apostles, Mary is named last by St. Luke, 
and takes the last place ; and the reason he 
gives for it is her profound humility. (I 
may be permitted to remark paranthetically 
that this is the last place where the name 
of Mary is mentioned in the sacred Scrip- 
tures, and I can never read it without the 
tears coming to my eyes. ) The higher she 
was, he says, the more did she humble her- 
self, not only in all respects, but before all. 
Her joy at the coming of the Holy Spirit 
was even more intense than that of all the 
Apostles, and she received His gifts and 
His graces gratis datae in greater abundance 
than they all; so that, as St. John Damas- 
( 396 ) 


397 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

cene says, all her words issued forth from a 
treasure of wisdom, and were dictated by 
the Holy Spirit. These gifts were especially 
nescessary for her after our Lord’s ascen- 
sion, because then, according to Suarez, 
she became, as it were, the oracle of all the 
faithful who resorted to her for counsel, as 
appears from the writings of St. Ignatius 
and of other early Fathers. Who can tell 
how much was effected by her prayers, 
offered as they were with such great hu- 
mility? Through her merits and her 
prayers Almighty God poured forth the 
Holy Spirit in greater abundance in the 
Cenaculum; and, in like manner, as the 
Word descended from heaven at her humble 
consent, so did the Holy Spirit descend 
from heaven at her humble prayer ; accord- 
ing to her own words: “He hath regarded 
the humility of His handmaid.” The dis- 
ciples followed her example, and humbly 
asked for the sevenfold Spirit; and their 
prayers were heard speedily. Let us also 
prepare for the coming of the Holy Ghost 
by uniting with one another in prayer, and 
calling upon the people to pray for us, for, 
says St. John Chrysostom, God has respect 
to the multitude who are of one mind and 
one heart in prayer. The Holy Spirit des- 
cends on those who are of one mind, because 
He loves unity, peace and concord. 


398 


Come, Holy Ghost . 

Persevering . The Blessed Virgin ceases 
not to pray for us until her Son sends us 
His Holy Spirit; for she is our advocate 
with God, and her impet ration procures for 
us this Gift above all other gifts. In the 
Cenaculum she prayed to her divine Spouse, 
who had rendered her fruitful without tak- 
ing away her virginity, and with whom her 
soul was perfectly united; and her sighs 
and prayers supplied all that was wanting 
in the prayers of the disciples. They per- 
severed with her in prayer, and so pointed 
out to us that the Holy Spirit is given 
abundantly to such as pray with devotion 
and perseverence. Jesus Christ has pro- 
mised the Holy Spirit to them that ask, but 
He would have us ask with importunity. 
Therefore, let us not fear; let us ask through 
the merits and intercession of the Blessed 
Virgin, and God will not delay to hear us. 


O God, who, through the Resurrection of 
Thy Son Our Lord Jesus Christ, didst 
vouchsafe to fill the world with joy; grant, 
we beseech Thee, that through His Virgin 
Mother Mary, we may lay hold on the joys 
of everlasting life. Through the same Christ 
our Lord. Amen. 


XCVII. 


The Sacerdotal Dignity Exalted by the Three 
Divine Persons. 

The Spirit of the Tord hath filled 
the whole world. Wisdom 1 : 7. 

In his meditation for the Wednesday after 
Trinity Sunday, Mgr. Scotti says: — 

If the Father and the Son exalt the sacer- 
dotal dignity, the Holy Ghost likewise en- 
nobles it by destining it to the diffusion of 
Himself. In the first place, let us remem- 
ber that goodness is, of its very nature, 
diffusive of itself ; and it is said to be dif- 
fusive in the same way as the end is said to 
be the motive power. Now, the Holy Spirit 
is the uncreated Goodness, and, therefore, 
He loves to diffuse Himself ; nay, He calls 
Himself the Gift, precisely because He gives 
Himself freely. As the gift of God He is 
given, yet in such a manner that, as God, 
He gives Himself. He is kind, — that is, 
according to the Greek text, — He is a lover 
of men: the spirit of wisdom is benevolent. 
( 399 ) 


400 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

And being most wise and most loving to- 
ward men, He renders them no less virtuous 
than He found them vicious. Let us, then, 
love so great Goodness ; let us learn how to 
profit by it, and let us endeavor that 
through our aid the faithful may also profit 
by the same. 

It had been foretold that the dry land 
should on a sudden be fertilized by the 
water of grace: “That which was dry land 
shall become a pool, and the thirsty land 
springs of water 77 (Isaias 35: 7); and this 
came to pass at the descent of the Holy 
Spirit, who, through the labor of the 
Apostles irrigated all the dry and barren 
earth. From the day of Pentecost streams 
of graces and blessings watered the desert 
and the whole of the dry land. Nor was 
the Spirit merely a living fountain, but also 
a great river, filling many other rivers, — 
that is to say, the Apostles and the first 
disciples. And, St. Ambrose says, that, 
whilst the Spirit is compared to water be- 
cause of His tendency to diffuse Himself, 
He is also compared to a river because of 
the abundance of this diffusion. This was 
manifested in the Apostles on the day of 
Pentecost ; for by their labors charity was 
diffused throughout the whole world, and 
it is by the Holy Ghost that “the charity 
of God is poured forth 77 (Rom. 5: 5). 


401 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

It is our office to carry on the work of 
the Apostles in that part of the ministry 
which has been confided to us ; and, there- 
fore, by our means also should the Holy 
Grhost be poured forth among the faithful. 
He descends upon priests in their ordina- 
tion, in order that they may become dis- 
pensers of divine gifts, and that grace may 
operate through them again. The priest 
discharges the functions of the Holy Spirit, 
and therefore the priest is brought into 
most intimate relation with the Holy Spirit. 
Let us remember that prayer is absolutely 
necessary for the diffusion of the Holy 
Spirit, and on this account that we must be 
ministers of prayer. Let ps remember also, 
that the Holy Spirit is diffused by the 
preaching of the word; for He it is who 
speaks by the mouth of His ministers, 
pouring forth light in the understanding 
and charity in the heart. Nay, more: 
Were there no Holy Spirit there would be 
no preaching, no word of wisdom or know- 
ledge in the Church, no pastors or teachers. 
Lastly, let us remember that by means of 
the sacraments, in which grace is so 
abundantly diffused, the Holy Grhost is 
poured forth in the hearts of the faithful, 
and, therefore, He is likened to water, 
which both washes and gives refreshment. 


402 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

Let us, then, faithfully dispense the divine 
Word and the holy sacraments to the faith- 
ful ; so shall we be acceptable to that Grod 
who will recompense us abundantly in this 
life and in the life to come. 


Lord, Giod the Holy Grhost, I am not 
worthy that Thou shouldst deign to come to 
me. But what am I without Thee? And 
what can I do without Thee? Come, then, 
and fill the heart of Thy unworthy servant 
and enkindle within me the fire of Thy 
love. Amen. 




XCVHI. 

The Priest’s Obedience. 

Be ye followers of me, as I 
also am of Christ 

I. Cor. 4: 16. 

Speaking, in the Eternal Priesthood , Car- 
dinal Manning says, under the head of “The 
Priest’s Obedience:” — 

What is it that makes a difference even 
among good men between priest and priest? 
They have equally the three characters of 
sons, soldiers, and priests of Jesus Christ, 
and they have in their measure and propor- 
tion the sacramental graces which flow from 
them. In what, do they, then, differ? The 
difference would seem to be in the use the 
one makes and the other does not make of 
the seven gifts of the Holy Grhost which are 
in him. The virtues of faith, hope and 
charity are habits ; but the gifts are faculties 
or powers which elicit and perfect these 
virtues. Three of the gifts, — fear, piety 
and fortitude, perfect the will; four perfect 
the reason ; intellect and science perfect the 
speculative reason; counsel and wisdom 
( 403 ) 


404 Come , Holy Ghost . 

perfect the practical reason. These seven 
gifts, when fully unfolded, make men to be 
saints; unfolded partially and unequally 
they make the diversities of sanctity seen in 
the Church ; or good, but not perfect, Chris- 
tians. In the measure in which they are 
unfolded they give a special character to the 
mind. Some priests are skilled in counsel, 
some in intellectual subtilty, some in piety, 
some in courage, and the like. It is not 
often that we see all the seven gifts equally 
unfolded in the same character, for it would 
form a saintly mind, and saintly minds are 
few. 

But this gives us the key to the great 
diversities among good priests. Some are 
wise but not learned, some learned but not 
pious, some pious but not courageous. 

As the loss of the seven gifts produces 
stupor of mind at least in spiritual things, 
so the obstruction of them in their develop- 
ment and neglecting them in their exercise 
produces insensibility and inaccuracy. Holy 
fear is the beginning. It is a great gift, and 
keeps us from evil; but without piety we 
shall be at least cold and hard to others. 
Filial piety is the loving and tender affection 
of a son, but without fortitude it may be- 
come soft and unstable. If these gifts, 
which perfect and govern the will, are ob- 


405 


Come , Roly Ghost. 

structed or weakened in their action, a 
priest will be a feeble support to those who 
need his help. 

There are five things which will cherish 
and unfold the working of the seven gifts in 
us. The first is a spirit of penance; — this 
clears away the obstructions and hindrances 
which clog and defeat the working of the 
Spirit; the second is a constant study of 
Holy Scripture, for in it the Holy Ghost 
speaks and perfects His own work in us; 
the third is daily prayer for light, in the be- 
ginning of the day, in the beginning of our 
studies or of grave actions; the fourth is 
mental prayer, by which our conscious 
union with God, and our consciousness of 
His presence in us, is kept alive; the fifth 
and last is a spirit of docility, a sense of de- 
pendence on God for light, guidance, 
strength, shelter and safety; and an ear to 
hear His voice in our conscience, with a 
promptness to obey when His voice is heard. 
A docile mind is always saying: “My heart 
is ready, my heart is ready ; ” “Speak, Lord, 
for Thy servant heareth.” These five 
habits will continually unfold the seven gifts 
in our intellect and our will, and form in us 
the habit of mental obedience, the rationabile 
obsequium , — the reasonable service, — with- 
out which a priest cannot be alter Christus , — 


406 Come , Holy Ghost . 

another Christ, — or the likeness of his 
Master. 


0 Light perpetual, transcending all created 
lights, dart forth that light from above, 
which may penetrate all the secret recesses 
of my heart. Cleanse, cheer, enlighten and 
enliven my spirit with its powers, that with 
joyful ecstacy it may cleave to Thee. Oh, 
when will this blessed and desirable hour 
come, that Thou mayest fill me with Thy 
presence, and become to me all in all. 
Amen. 



XCIX. 


The Holy Ghost and the Eucharistic Priest- 
hood. 

And taking bread, He gave thanks, 
and broke, and gave to them, say- 
ing: This is My Body which is 
given for you : Do this for a com- 
memoration of Me. 

St. Luke 20: 19. 

I trust that it will not be thought amiss if 
I reproduce here the greater part of an ar- 
ticle which I wrote for Emmanuel , the offi- 
cial organ of the Priests’ Eucharistic League 
for the United States, and which appeared 
in the number for January, 1900. It is en- 
titled “The Holy Grhost and the Eucharistic 
Priesthood,” and this title will account for 
certain expression found in the article, 
which might not seem clear to the reader 
without this explanation: — 

Holy Mother Church, guided by the Spirit 
of Hod, has approved a large number of 
devotions, not only that the various scenes, 
virtues and mysteries in the life of her 
divine Founder, His blessed Mother and 
the saints might be duly honored, but also 
(407; 


408 Come , Holy Ghost. 

that tne bent of the devotion of eacn in- 
dividual Christian, both cleric and lay, 
might have ample scope for its exercise and 
development. Some of these devotions 
may be called special, being confined to 
certain persons or classes of persons, while 
others are general and are practiced to a 
greater or less extent by every Christian. 
Among the latter is, or should be, devo- 
tion to the Third Person of the Blessed 
Trinity. But I have long felt, with many 
others, that this devotion is not so common 
as it should be. Cardinal Manning remarks 
very properly in his Internal Mission of the 
Holy Ghost (pp. 343-4): “It has always 
seemed to me both strange and wonderful 
that, whereas we worship the ever-blessed 
Trinity, — the Father, the Son and the Holy 
Ghost, — in consubstantial unity; and 
whereas we worship the Person of the 
Father with a special' and daily adoration 
every time we say the Lord’s Prayer; and 
whereas we worship the Person of the Son of 
God by concluding all our prayers through 
His name, and by adoring Him in the 
ever-blessed Sacrament; nevertheless, we 
rarely worship and adore the Person of the 
Holy Ghost. Why is this? I believe it to 
be for this reason. The conception of the 
fatherhood of God and of our sonship to 


409 


Come, Holy Ghost . 

Him is a conception altogether natural to 
our heart. We learn it in our home from 
our earliest consciousness in the relation we 
bear to our earthly father. The Incarnation 
of the Son of God brings Him also within 
the sphere and range of our intelligence 
and of our heart ; so that we conceive of 
Him as Man incarnate, visible upon earth, 
and invested with all our sympathies, and 
with the love of His Sacred Heart full of 
compassion for us. These two conceptions 
are, I may say, within the range of nature. 
They came to us at once. But the Holy 
Ghost, a Spirit that has never been seen, 
has never been incarnate, inscrutable, pre- 
sent everywhere, never manifest except by 
the operations of His power, — this is a 
reality, like the motion of the earth, which 
we know in our reason, but cannot detect 
by any sense ; or it is like the circulation 
of the blood, which we know as a fact, but 
can never perceive all the day long. So 
the indwelling and the work of the Holy 
Grhost in the soul is a divine truth, so alto- 
gether inscrutable, so impalpable, so in- 
sensible, that we pass it by. Therefore we 
do not so often adore the Author and Giver 
of all grace with a special worship. ” 

It will generally be found that a priest 
who spends a few years in a congregation 


410 Come , Holy Ghost. 

will impress more or less deeply the spirit 
of his special devotion, — for every priest, 
I take it, has a special devotion, — on his 
people. This is only natural, for “out of 
the abundance of the heart the mouth 
speaketh” ; and if he has a special devotion, 
he will be seen to practice it, he will speak 
of it, praise it, recommend it, and, in a 
word, keep it constantly before his people. 
Now, applying that to the matter in hand, 
how seldom do we hear a priest preach on 
the Holy G-host. The matter-of-course 
sermon on Pentecost is about as far as the 
vast majority of them get. Not only so; 
but how few books intended especially for 
the clergy, treat of the Third Person of the 
blessed Trinity. I have read many of them, 
and the most I could find was a passing re- 
mark here and there ; even Cardinal Man- 
ning, the champion of that devotion, refers 
only briefly to the Holy Ghost in the Eter- 
nal Priesthood. Nor do I remember to have 
heard in the clerical retreats, which I have 
attended annually for thirty years, a single 
conference or meditation, — hardly a passing 
reference, — to the Holy Spirit. It is little 
wonder, then, that our people have not, as 
a rule, the devotion they should have to the 
divine Comforter, whom Christ sent to 
foster the Church from which He withdrew 


Come , Holy Ghost . 411 

His visible presence on the day of the 
Ascension. 

All who carefully read the sacred Script- 
ures are familiar with the important part 
which the Father and the Son willed that 
the Holy Ghost should perform in the 
Church as a whole, and in each of its in- 
dividual members. The better to under- 
stand and realize this, in so far as it relates 
to our present subject, I shall range my re- 
marks under two heads : — The relation of 
the Holy Ghost to the Adorable Sacrifice 
of the Altar; and, The relation of the Holy 
Ghost to the most Blessed Sacrament. 

I. 

The Holy Eucharist depends on the In- 
carnation. Without the one there could 
not, so far as human discernment can reach, 
have been the other. Now, the Holy Ghost, 
“who spoke by the prophets,” first revealed 
the mystery of the Incarnation in the very 
garden of Paradise, and with it the pos- 
sibility of the Holy Eucharist, when He told 
the transgressing woman that her seed 
should crush the head of the infernal ser- 
pent, which had seduced her to disobey the 
divine command. He renewed the same 
promise in a more explicit form when He 
declared to Abraham that, in him and in 


412 


Come, Holy Ghost. 

his seed all the nations of the earth should 
be blessed. This thread of revelation, this 
voice of the Holy G-host, is heard down 
through all the centuries of the Old Dispen- 
sation, and up to the day when St. John 
the Baptist pointed to a figure walking on 
the banks of the Jordan, and exclaimed in 
ecstacy: “Behold the Lamb of G-od.” 

He is typified as the object of the ador- 
ation of the Eucharistic priesthood in the 
paschal lamb, in the manna of the desert, 
in the loaves of proposition, in the hearth- 
cake of Elias, but especially in the sacrifice 
of Melchisedech, who was “a priest of the 
Most High Hod,” and who, unlike all others 
before or after him, offered sacrifice in bread 
and wine, and blessed Abraham, the father 
of the Jewish people. The Blessed Sacra- 
ment is also revealed by the Royal Prophet, 
speaking under the inspiration of the Holy 
Ghost, where summing up the divine mer- 
cies, he says (Ps. 110: 4): “He hath made 
a remembrance of His wonderful works, 
being a merciful and gracious Lord, He 
hath given food to them that fear Him.” 
This He does, and will continue to do to 
the end of time by means of the “clean ob- 
lation,” foretold by the Prophet Malachias, 
which is to be offered up from the rising to 
the going down of the sun, in all places, in 


Come . Holy Ghost. 413 

obedience to divine injunction: “Do this for 
a commemoration of Me.” 

II. 

In the second place we shall consider the 
relation of the Holy Ghost to the Eucharistic 
priesthood. We read that, in the begin- 
ning, the Spirit of God moved over the 
waters (Gen. 1: 1), and fructified them, 
and from this Creator Spiritus all things 
came forth. The royal prophet prays that 
the same divine Spirit may, in a far different 
sense, re-create the world, when he says 
(Ps. 103: 30): “Thou shalt send forth 
Thy Spirit and they shall be created, and 
Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.” 
This new creation began to be effected 
when our divine Redeemer commissioned 
His Apostles to go forth and preach His 
Gospel; but it was effected by the Holy 
Ghost. Sitting with them at the Last Sup- 
per He said: “The Paraclete, the Holy 
Ghost, whom the Father will send in My 
name, He will teach you all things, and 
bring all things to your mind whatsoever I 
shall have said to you Go ye, there- 

fore, teach all nations, teaching them to ob- 
serve all things whatsoever I have com- 
manded you.” 

And “Their sound hath gone forth into 


414 Come , Holy Ghost. 

all the earth, and their words unto the ends 
of the world. ” This exalted mission was 
to be further wrought out by the additional 
power which Christ gave His Apostles and 
their successors when He said to them: 
“ Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins 
you shall forgive they are forgiven.” 

All the miraculous manifestations ot the 
presence and power of the Holy Ghost that 
we read of in the Acts of the Apostles , came 
through the preaching and ministrations 
of the Apostles, their coadjutors and suc- 
cessors ; and the gifts and fruits of the Holy 
Ghost, as enumerated by the Apostle of the 
Gentiles (See Rom. viii, 9-17: I. Cor. ii. 
10-15; xii.), came through the preachers of 
the Gospel and the ministers of the altar. 
And so it has been and ever will be, that 
while the Spirit breathes where He will, and 
dispenses His gifts and graces as He will, 
it is through the priesthood that these gifts 
and graces are commonly bestowed. Every 
priest shares in the gifts and the graces of 
the Holy Ghost given to the Apostles on 
Pentecost, though not in the same measure ; 
and he shares in them for the same ends, — 
his own sanctification, and the sanctifica- 
tion and salvation of the souls entrusted to 
his care, — by the preaching of the word of 
God and the administration of the sacra- 


Come , Holy Ghost . 415 

merits, especially the Adorable Sacrament 
of the Altar. 

How awfully intimate the union of the 
Eucharistic priesthood with the Holy Ghost ! 
Speaking of this dignity, St. Paul says: 
Neither doth any man take the honor to him- 
self, hut that he is called hy God as Aaron 
teas. (Heb, v, 4.) And who is it that calls 
the youth to the priesthood but the Holy 
Ghost? To every person called to labor in 
the ranks of the sacred ministry the Holy 
Ghost can apply the words of the Lord to 
the prophet Jeremias (i, 5): Before I 
formed thee in the bowels of thy mother , 1 
knew thee ; and before thou earnest forth from 
the womb , I sanctified thee — set thee apart for 
the work of the priesthood. And when 
the moment came for the youth, who had 
all this time been the object of the special 
care of the Holy Spirit and the recipient of 
His choicest graces, finally to decide his 
vocation, was it not the same Holy Spirit 
that enlightened the mind of his spiritual 
director to discern the call of God, address- 
ing him as He did the assembly at Antioch : 
Separate me Saul and Barnabas , for the work 
whereunto I have taken them . (Acts xiii, 2. ) 

III. 

But the relation of the Holy Ghost to the 
Eucharistic priesthood is best seen in the 


416 


Come , Holy Ghost . 

ceremonies of ordination and the prayers 
that accompany them. In the conferring of 
Tonsure the Bishop addresses the priests in 
attendance in these words: “ Or emus , jratres 
carissimi , Dominum nostrum , Jesum Chris- 
tum, pro his famulis suis, . . . ut donet eis 
Spiritum sanctum, qui liabitum religionis in 
eis in perpetuum conservet, et a mundi impe- 
diment, ac saecidari desiderio cor da eorum 
defended etc. Passing over the invoca- 
tions of the Holy Grhost in the conferring of 
Minor Orders, — and they are not wanting, — 
we come to the Holy Orders. In the prin- 
cipal prayer in the conferring of the sub- 
deaconate the Bishop beseeches heaven in 
these words: “ Bequies cat super eos Spiritus 
sapientiae, et intellectus ; Spiritus concilii, et 
fortitudinis : Spiritus scientiae, et pietatis, et 
reple eos Spiritu timoris tui etc . So, too, 
in the ordination of deacons, the Bishop 
lays his hand on the head of each in succes- 
sion, saying: u Accipe Spiritum sanctum, ad 
robur , et ad resistendum diabolo et tentationi- 
bus ejus, in nomine Domini And he im- 
mediately adds : “ JEmitte in eos , quaesumus 
Domine, Spiritum sanctum, quo in opus minis- 
terii tui hdeliter exequendi septiformis gratiae 
tuae munere roborentur,” etc. 

But it is in the ordination to the priest- 
hood that the most solemn invocation of 


417 


Come , Roly Ghost . 

the Holy Ghost is naturally found. After 
the introductory exhortation, which the 
Bishop addresses to the candidates kneeling 
before him at the foot of the altar, and after 
the recitation of the Litany of the Saints, as 
a sign of the invocation of the Holy Spirit, 
he places his hands on the head of each 
candidate, in silence, and is followed in the 
same ceremony by all the clergy present; 
and, this done, he and all the priests present, 
circled around the candidates, stand with 
their hands outstretched over them while 
the Bishop prays in these words: “Exaudi, 
quaesumus Romine Reus noster , ut super hos 
famulos tuos benedictionem sancti Spiritus , et 
gratiae sacerdotalis infunde virtutem etc . 
Later the Veni ) Creator Spiritus is intoned 
and sung on bended knees, whilst the 
Eucharistic power is imparted to the candi- 
dates. At still another time the Holy Ghost 
is invoked by the Bishop in the words: 
“ Accipite Spiritum sanctum in vobis Paracli- 
tum . 7 7 And the ceremony closes with giving 
the power to forgive sins in the same words 
in which our Saviour conferred it on His 
Apostles after His resurrection. (St. John 
20 ; 22 , 23 .) 

And the Church wishes this consecration 
to the Holy Spirit, which marks the entry 
of the candidate into the ranks of the sacred 


418 


Come , Holy Ghost 

ministry to be frequently recalled to his 
mind. Witness the six beautiful prayers, 
which he is recommended to recite every 
day before he approaches the altar to offer 
the Adorable Sacrifice — the great act for 
which he is a priest, and from which his 
sacred office derives its name. In them the 
body, soul, mind, heart, — the whole man, 
is consecrated anew to the Holy Spirit. 

What created being is so entirely the pos- 
session of the Holy Ghost as the priest of 
the New Law? His every thought, his 
every word and movement is, or should be, 
made by the inspiration and under the guid- 
ance of that blessed Spirit. If he is a priest 
of God, an alter Chris tus, he is so because 
of the Holy Grhost who called him, who 
sanctified him, and under whose invocation 
he made every step that led him to the altar. 
If he is what St. Paul calls him, “A man of 
God,” and not of the world, it is by the 
Holy Ghost that he has been enabled to be- 
come so, and it is only by the same Holy 
Spirit that he can hope to remain so. 

Holy Simeon was led by the Spirit into 
the temple that he might there take the 
divine Infant into his arms and press Him 
to his bosom; and so, too, should the priest 
of the New Law be led by the same Spirit 
when he approaches the altar not to take 


419 


Come , Hohj Ghost. 


the divine Child into his arms only, but to 
call Him down from heaven upon the altar, 
adore Him, receive Him into his own inmost 
soul, and give Him to His devout children 
at the communion rail. Happy the priest 
who studies to realize what the Holy Grhost 
is to him, and what he should be to the 
Holy Grhost. He will then walk worthy of 
the vocation whereunto he is called. 


Conscientias nostras, quaesumus Domine, 
visitando purifica: ut veniens Dominus nos- 
ter Jesus Christus Filius tuus paratam sibi 
in nobis inveniat mansioiiem: qui tecum 
vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus sancti 
Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen. 



c. 

Novena in Honor of the Holy Ghost. 

He that heareth you, heareth 
Me. St. Luke 10 : 16. 

The following extract is from the Encycli- 
cal of His present Holiness Leo XIII., of 
May 9, 1897: — 

“We decree and command that through- 
out the whole Catholic Church, this year, 
and in every subsequent year, a novena 
shall be made before Whit-Sunday, in all 
parish churches, and also, if the local ordi- 
naries think fit, in other churches and 
oratories. 

To all who take part in this novena and 
duly pray for our intention, we grant for 
each day an indulgence of seven years and 
seven quarantines ; moreover, a plenary 
indulgence on any of the days of the novena, 
or on Whit-Sunday itself, or on any day 
during the octave, provided they shall have 
received the sacraments of Penance and the 
Holy Eucharist, and devoutly prayed for 
our intention. 

(420) 


421 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

We will that those who are legitimately 
prevented from attending the novena, or 
who are in places where the devotion cannot, 
in the judgment of the ordinary, be con- 
veniently carried out in the church, shall 
equally enjoy the same benefits, provided 
they make the novena privately and observe 
the other conditions. 

Moreover, we are pleased to grant, in per- 
petuity, from the Treasury of the Church, 
that whosoever, daily during the octave of 
Pentecost up to Trinity Sunday inclusive, 
offer again publicly or privately any prayers, 
according to their devotion, to the Holy 
Gihost, and satisfy the above conditions, 
shall a second time gain each of the same 
indulgences. 

All these indulgences we also permit to be 
applied to the suffrage of the souls in Pur- 
gatory.” 

This is the highest possible sanction and 
recommendation that could be had of devo- 
tion by way of novenas to the Holy Spirit. 

Treating of novenas to the Holy Grhost, 
Father Fiege says: — 

The first novena we have knowledge of is 
the one recorded in the first chapter of the 
Acts of the Apostles. That no vena was 
made in preparation for the coming of the 


422 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

Holy Chost on the day of Pentecost. It 
was therefore a novena in honor of the 
Holy Gihost. The persons making this 
novena were the Blessed Virgin Mary, the 
Apostles and disciples of our Lord, the holy 
women and the other faithful believers ; in 
all about one hundred and twenty souls. 
They represented at that time the entire 
Church of Jesus Christ, The novena was 
made at the express command of Jesus 
Christ, who had told them not to depart 
from Jerusalem until they had received the 
promised Paraclete. 

The manner in which they made the 
no vena was by prayer and retirement. The 
effects of that novena were simply marvel- 
ous. Personally they were all filled with 
the Holy Chost. They received, moreover, 
not only the full outpouring of His divine 
grace, but also very extraordinary gifts and 
favors. And if you yourself should at any 
time stand in need of some special grace of 
the Holy Grhost, what more efficacious 
means can you employ than making a 
novena in honor of Cod the Holy Chost. 

Bear in mind that the end of the no vena 
is to draw down upon yourself some special 
grace of the Holy Chost, or rather to draw 
down the Holy Chost Himself; for the Holy 
Chost comes to you afresh each time He 


423 


Gome , Holy Ghost . 

bestows His divine grace upon you. But in 
order to draw down the Holy Ghost you 
must do something to attract Him. And 
how will you attract Him? By prayer and 
retirement, after the example of the Blessed 
Virgin Mary, of the Apostles and other 
followers of our Lord. 

First, then, you must prepare your soul 
for the coming of the Holy Spirit by prayer; 
that is, by asking Him directly by fervent 
and earnest words to come and visit your 
poor soul and grant it that particular favor 
or blessing you desire, whether for yourself 
or others. But your prayers must be an- 
imated chiefly by an ardent longing to re- 
ceive the Holy Grhost. You must excite 
within your heart a burning desire to be 
filled with the Holy Spirit of God. Each 
day of the no vena, therefore, you should 
read something concerning the Holy Ghost, 
and make a little meditation on what you 
have read. Yet take care to remove every 
hindrance to the coming of the Holy Ghost. 
Your prayers and meditations should, there- 
fore, be accompanied with lively sentiments 
of true sorrow for all your past sins, failings 
and shortcomings. Not only should you be 
free from actual sins, but also from all 
attachment to sin. 

The other condition for preparing your 


424 Come , Holy Ghost. 

soul for the Holy Ghost is retirement . If 
your position and station in life will allow 
you to retire altogether for a little while, 
and make a spiritual retreat, so much the 
better. But if you cannot actually retire 
from your ordinary occupations, at least 
cultivate, as far as possible, interior recollec- 
tion, and endeavor to acquire and preserve 
interior peace of mind. And when your 
heart is thus at rest, the Divine Spirit will 
come and abide therein, and fill it with every 
blessing. 

Bemember that a number of indulgences 
are granted for making this novena, whether 
in public or in private, whether in prepara- 
tion for the day of Pentecost, or at any 
other time during the year. 


0 Almighty and Eternal God, most just 
and merciful, grant to us miserable creatures 
Thy grace, that we may always do what we 
know to be Thy will, and always will what 
Thou wiliest, that, thus purified and en- 
lightened interiorly, and so inflamed with 
the fire of Thy Holy Spirit, we may follow 
in the footsteps of Thy beloved Son Jesus 
Christ, and thus arrive at the possession of 
Thee who livest and reignest, one God, 
world without end. Amen. 


Cl. 

The No vena of the Holy Ghost. 

Your Father from heaven 
will give the good Spirit to 
them that ask Him. 

St. Luke 11 : 13. 

Among the many questions which the 
prolific pen of St. Alphonsus Liguori has 
treated, we select the following on the Holy 
G-host: — 

The No vena to the Holy Ghost is the 
chief of all the novenas, because it was the 
first that was ever celebrated, and that by 
the holy Apostles and the most holy Mary 
in the supper-room, and distinguished by so 
many wonders and gifts ; principally by the 
gift of the same Holy Spirit, a gift merited 
for us by the Passion of Jesus Christ Him- 
self. Jesus Himself made this known to 
us, when He said to His disciples, that if He 
did not die, He could not send us the Holy 
Ghost: “If I go not, the Paraclete will not 
come to you ; but if I go I will send Him to 
you.” We know well by faith that the 
( 425 ) 


426 


Coyne , Holy Ghost. 

Holy Ghost is the love that the Father and 
the Eternal Word bear one to the other; 
and therefore the gift of love, which the 
Lord infuses into our souls, and which is 
the greatest of all gifts, is particularly at- 
tributed to the Holy Grhost, as St. Paul says : 
“The charity of God is poured forth in our 
hearts by the Holy Ghost, who is given to 
us.” 

God had ordered, in the ancient law, 
that there should be a fire kept continually 
burning on His altar: “The fire on the altar 
shall always burn.” St. Gregory says, that 
the altars of God are our hearts, where He 
desires that the fire of His divine love should 
always be burning ; and therefore the Eternal 
Father, not satisfied with having given us 
His Son Jesus Christ, to save us by His 
death, would also give us the Holy Ghost, 
that He might dwell in our souls, and keep 
them constantly on fire with His love. And 
Jesus Christ Himself declared, that He had 
come into the world on purpose to inflame 
our hearts with this holy fire, and that He 
desired nothing more than to see it kindled : 
“I am come to cast fire upon the earth; and 
what will I but that it be kindled.” For- 
getting, therefore, the injuries and ingrati 
tude He received from men on this earth, 
when He had ascended into heaven He sent 


427 


Come, Holy Ghost . 

down upon us the Holy Spirit. 0 most lov- 
ing Redeemer, Thou dost, then, love us as 
well in Thy sufferings and ignominies as in 
Thy kingdom of glory. Hence it was that 
ths Holy Ghost chose to appear in the 
supper-room under the form of tongues of 
fire. 

This is the only fire which has inflamed 
the saints to do so great things for God, to 
love their enemies, to desire contempt, to 
deprive themselves of all earthly goods, and 
to embrace with delight even torments and 
death. Love cannot remain idle, and never 
says, “It is enough.” The soul that loves 
God, the more she does for her beloved, the 
more she desires to do, in order to please 
Him, and to attract to herself His affections 
the more. This holy fire is enkindled by 
mental prayer, as the Psalmist says: “In 
my meditation a fire shall be enkindled.” 
The Holy Spirit, who is called “most blessed 
light,” is He who not only inflames our 
hearts to love Him, through His divine 
splendor, but also dispels our darkness, and 
shows the vanity of earthly things, the value 
of eternal goods, the importance of salva- 
tion, the price of grace, the goodness of 
God, the infinite love which He deserves, 
and the immense love which He bears us. 
“The sensual man perceiveth not those 


428 


Come , Holy Ghost 

things that are of the Spirit of God.” 
Hence the saints were always seeking light 
from Giod: “Send forth Thy light; illumin- 
ate my darkness; open Thou my eyes.” 
Because without light we cannot avoid pre- 
cipices, nor can we find God. 


O holy and divine Spirit, I believe that 
Thou art really God, but one only God with 
the Father and the Son. I adore Thee, and 
acknowledge Thee as the giver of all those 
lights by which Thou hast made known to 
me the evil which I have committed in 
offending Thee, and the obligation which I 
am under of loving Thee. I thank Thee 
for them, and I repent with my whole heart 
for having offended Thee. I have deserved 
that Thou shouldst abandon me in my dark- 
ness ; but I see that Thou hast not forsaken 
me. Continue, 0 eternal Spirit, to enlighten 
me and to make me know more Thy infinite 
goodness; and give me strength to love 
Thee for the future with my whole heart. 
O Mary, my Mother do thou always assist 
me by thy intercession. Amen. 


CII. 

The Same, Continued. 

If any one thirst, let him 
come to me. St. John 7: 37. 

St. Alphonsus continues: — 

The Almighty complains that many souls 
go about seeking for fleeting and miserable 
pleasures from creatures , and leave Him who 
is the infinite good and fountain of all joy. 
“They have forsaken Me the fountain of 
living water, and have digged to themselves 
cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no 
water. ” (Jeremiah 2 : 13. ) Wherefore Grod 
who loves us, and desires to see us happy, 
cries out, and makes known to all: “If any 
one thirst, let him come to Me.” He who 
desires to be happy, let him come to Me ; and 
I will give him the Holy Grliost, who will 
make him blessed both in this life and in 
the next. 

Holy Church teaches us to pray: “May 
the infusion of the Holy Grhost cleanse our 
hearts, and fertilize them by the interior 
sprinkling of His dew. ’ ’ Love fertilizes the 
(429) 


430 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

good desires, the holy purposes, and the 
good works of our souls; these are the 
flowers and the fruits which the grace of the 
Holy Spirit produces. Love is also dew, 
because it cools the heart of bad passions 
and temptations. Therefore the Holy Grhost 
is called refreshing and cooling in the heat : 
“In heat refreshment and pleasing cool- 
ness. ” This dew descends into our hearts 
in time of prayer. The Holy Grhost is also 
called: “Sweet guest of the soul.” This 
was the great promise made by Jesus Christ 
to those who love Him, when He said : ‘ ‘If 
you love Me, I will pray My Father, and He 
will send you the Holy Spirit, that He may 
always dwell in you. If you love Me, keep 
My commandments. And I will ask the 
Father, and He shall give you another 
Paraclete, that He may abide with you for 
ever.” 

Before the coming of Jesus Christ men 
fled away from Grod, and being attracted to 
the earth, refused to unite themselves to 
their Creator ; but the loving Grod has drawn 
them to Himself by the bonds of love, as He 
promised by the prophet Osee (11: 4); “I 
will draw them with the cords of Adam, 
with the bands of Love.” These bands are 
the benefits, the lights, the calls to His love, 
the promises of paradise, which He makes 


431 


Gome , Roly Ghost . 

to us ; but above all is the gift He has be- 
stowed on us of Jesus Christ in the Sacrifice 
of the Cross and in the Sacrament of the 
Altar; and, finally, the gift of His Holy 
Spirit. Therefore the prophet exclaims: 
“Loose the bonds from off thy neck, O 
captive daughter of Zion.” O my soul, 
thou who art created for heaven, loose thy- 
self from the bonds of earth, and unite thy- 
self to G-od by bonds of holy love. 


Come, 0 Holy Spirit, and destroy in me 
by Thy sacred fire every affection which has 
not Thee for its object. Grant that I may 
be all Thine, and that I may conquer every- 
thing to please Thee. O Mary, my advocate 
and Mother, do thou help me by thy prayers. 
Amen. 



cm. 

The Confraternity of the Holy Ghost. 

I will ask the Father and He 
shall give you another Para- 
clete, that He may abide with 
you forever ; the Spirit of 
truth. St. John 14: 16, 17. 

The following beautiful and instructive 
thoughts are taken from the pastoral letter 
addressed, (October 18, 1879), by the Rt. 
Rev. John J. Keane, then Bishop of Rich- 
mond, and later first Rector of the Catholic 
University of America, to the clergy and 
people of his diocese: — 

Devotion to the Holy G-host is a most 
natural offspring of Christian faith, because 
the Holy Ghost is the very life and soul of 
the Christian dispensation. The Holy Ghost 
is the Infinite Love of God, proceeding from 
the Father and the Son, and perfecting the 
Being of the adorable Trinity, according to 
that sublime utterance of St. John, “God is 
Love.” 


( 432 ) 


433 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

It was through love that God created and 
redeemed us ; therefore it is that the Holy 
Scripture shows us that the works of crea- 
tion and redemption, wrought by the power 
of the Father and the wisdom of the Son, 
are finished and perfected by the action of 
the Holy Ghost. Hence, when our divine 
Redeemer had completed His work on earth, 
and was about to return to His Father, He 
said to His disciples: “It is expedient for 
you that I go ; for if I go not, the Paraclete 
will not come to you; but if I go, I will send 
Him to you.” According to our Saviour 7 s 
promise, the Holy Ghost came on Whitsun- 
day, from the bosom of the Father and the 
Son, to finish and carry on forever the work 
of Their mercy. He became the soul of the 
Christian Church, making it into a living 
body; and all its life has ever since come 
from Him and depended on Him, and so 
shall continue till the end of the world. All 
the divine truth that has ever been taught 
by the Church, or has ever illumined the 
minds of her children, has come from the 
Holy Ghost, “the Spirit of Truth . 77 All 
the grace that has ever been dispensed in 
the sacraments, or has ever wrought the 
sanctification of souls, is the work of the 
Holy Ghost, “the Giver of Life . 77 When- 
ever we ask a spiritual favor of Almighty 


434 Come , Holy Ghost. 

God, through the merits of our divine 
Saviour, or through the intercession of the 
Blessed Virgin and the saints, whether we 
think of the Holy Ghost or not, the blessing 
given is the outpouring of His love, the 
grace received is His gift. Whenever we 
strive to advance on the way to heaven, to 
climb the ladder of holiness, the power by 
which we advance is the action of the Holy 
Ghost. Whenever we think a good thought, 
say a good word, or do a good action, it is 
by and through “the Spirit of God dwelling 
in us” that we do it, since St. Paul teaches 
us that we cannot even utter the name of 
Jesus” but by the Holy Ghost.” 

How great, therefore, and how constant 
is our debt of gratitude to the Holy Ghost ! 
How intimately is our whole spiritual life 
pervaded by His influence. The more we 
learn of our interior life the more we must 
learn of the power and the love of the Holy 
Ghost. Not to think of this would surely 
indicate strange thoughtlessness about spir- 
itual things ; and to think of it, and not turn 
constantly toward the Holy Ghost in thanks- 
giving, as well as in supplication, would 
surely be the height of ingratitude. Yet, 
alas, how much of such thoughtlessness and 
such ingratitude has not the Holy Spirit to 
endure at our hands. 


435 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

In this age, when the spirit of error is 
trying to make men believe that their life is 
only that of the beasts of the field, the 
Church guided by the hand of God, turns 
the attention of her children perhaps more 
specially than at any previous time, to the 
interior and supernatural life of their souls, 
of which the Holy Ghost is the Author. 
The devotion to the Holy Ghost, together 
with the teaching concerning the spiritual 
life with which that devotion is inseparably 
connected, is unquestionably the best an- 
tidote for the materialistic and degrading 
tendencies of our times. 


My soul is dark and hopeless without 
Thee; 

My heart is weak and withered without 
Thee ; 

My life is burnt, like stubble, without 
Thee ; 

I cannot say u My Jesus,” without 
Thee: 

0 Loved One, pour Thy living light on 
me. 


H99&B8H 


CIV. 


The Archconfraternity of the Servants of the 
Holy Ghost. 

The Archconfraternity of the Servants of 
the Holy Ghost owes its origin to the Rev. 
Father Rawes, of London, England, who 
was warmly encouraged and supported by 
His Eminence the late Cardinal Manning. 
Speaking of its foundation in Little Books 
of the Holy Ghost, No. 11., Father Rawes 
says : — 

In Lent, 1877, the Confraternity of the 
Servants of the Holy Ghost was begun. 
God poured many graces upon it, and the 
members prayed very earnestly for the sanc- 
tion and blessing of the Vicar of Jesus 
Christ. That blessing came in a Rescript 
of our Holy Father, dated March, 10, 1878, 
approving both the object of the Confra- 
ternity and its name, and granting it many 
indulgences, namely: — 

I. Plenary indulgences : 

1. On the day of enrollment. 

2. At the hour of death, on invok- 

ing the Holy Ghost. 

3. On Whit-sunday, (Pentecost). 

( 436 ) 


437 


Come , Holy Ghost. 

4. On the Feast of the Annunciation 
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 
August 15. 

II. Partial indulgences : 

1. Seven years on every day in the 

octave of Pentecost. 

2 . One hundred days to all the mem- 

bers who say the Hail Mary 
devoutly three times every day, 
and seek for the patronage of 
the Mother of Glod. 

3 . One hundred days to all the mem- 

bers who attend the monthly 
meetings. 

On April 6, 1879, the Holy Father raised 
the Confraternity to the dignity of an Arch- 
confraternity, and on June 5th, 1879, the 
Archconfraternity was canonically erected 
in the church of St. Mary’s, Bayswater, 
London, England, by Cardinal Manning, 
Archbishop of Westminster. 

It may not be out of place to remark for 
the information of some of my readers, 
that, an Archconfraternity differs from a 
confraternity in this, that, while a confrater- 
nity is erected, or established in one church 
or place, and has no branches elsewhere, an 
Archconfraternity is one that is duly author- 
ized to establish branch confraternities any 
where with the consent of the bishop of the 
diocese. 


438 


Come, Holy Ghost. 

The only obligation of the Archconfra- 
ternity of the Servants of the Holy Ghost is 
to be enrolled , with a sincere love for the 
Holy Grhost, a desire to increase His glory, 
and an intention of doing what we are able 
for this end. # 

Confraternities of the Servants of the 
Holy Grhost can now be erected anywhere 
throughout the world by all Bishops. They 
can also be aggregated to the Archconfra- 
ternity, so as to share in all the spiritual 
graces and indulgences, on the application 
of the Rector of the Confraternity, with a 
certificate signed by the Bishop, saying that 
the Confraternity has been canonically 
erected, that he approves of its object, and 
that he wishes it to be aggregated to the 
Archconfraternity. 


Let us bless the Father, and the Son, 
with the Holy Ghost : Let us praise and ex- 
alt Him above all for ever. 

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, in the firma- 
ment of heaven : and worthy to be praised 
and glorified, and exalted above all for ever. 
















































































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